Incriminated
by Stabson
Summary: He's spent fifteen years working to make the city a better place. He's given all of his time to help victims and take perps off the street. But what will happen when he's accused of being the very thing that he hates? And how will she be able to help? E/O
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, guys. This is just something that I've been playing with for a while and finally got the courage to post. Please keep an open mind while reading… like all my other stories, this one's gonna be a little different.

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><p>Elliot walked into the bullpen of SVU, and smiled slightly when he saw his partner working at her desk. She looked up at him, and smiled back, "Morning, El."<p>

"Morning," he answered, taking off his jacket as he sat down at his desk.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked, looking intently at him as he started to pull out files. She knew that he was going through a rough time… getting his children taken away from him, and divorce papers in his face.

He shrugged his shoulders, lifting his pen, "Alright, I guess."

"Good," she answered.

He nodded his head quietly, and they both got to work.

They got started on paperwork, but it stopped when Cragen called their names, "Benson, Stabler. You have a vic at Mercy. Get going."

Elliot sighed as he stood up, "And it begins."

Olivia patted his shoulder as they headed out of the bullpen. Elliot got into the driver's seat, and started the sedan. Olivia got in as well, and he pulled out of the parking space. Olivia looked intently at him, and spoke, "How's it going with Kathy and the kids?"

Elliot sighed, "I signed the papers last night. It's official."

Her gaze softened, and she pat his hand gently, "I'm so sorry, El," she said softly.

He gave her a weak smile, "It's okay. I guess… I knew it was coming, I just didn't see it."

Olivia nodded her head, "If you need to talk…"

"I know," he answered, turning back towards the road, "I can come to you. Thanks, Liv."

"That's what best friends are for, right?" she stated.

He chuckled lightly; suddenly feeling more light-hearted then he had just a few minutes before. She always had that affect on him… she always knew how to make him feel better. "Yeah. That's right."

He pulled into Mercy General, and they got out of the car, heading inside.

The victim was a little boy… and it instantly reminded him of Dickie. Children's cases always reminded him of his kids. And, of course, Olivia knew this. That's why she told him that she would talk to the boy, and he could talk to the parents. He was grateful for that. He wasn't in the shape to talk to a victim that reminded him of his children.

But, as it turned out, it wasn't that great talking to the parents, either. As soon as he asked the father for a DNA sample, he got a fist in his face.

So there he was, sitting on one of the uncomfortable hospital chair, with Olivia trying to clean up the cut above his eyebrow. He kept pulling away, "Come on, Liv. It's fine."

"Just hold still for a couple seconds and it _will_ be fine. It's just a little peroxide."

He stopped, and she dabbed the cut. She smiled, and threw the cotton ball away, "There. All done."

He couldn't help the smile that twitched across his lips, "Okay. Let's go, then."

They headed back to the station house, and started in on paperwork, waiting for the test results from the lab.

Evening rolled around, and things slowed down. Elliot closed up, and looked at Olivia, "How about a drink?"

He didn't want to go home to an empty apartment just yet… he wanted to be with Olivia for just a while longer.

She smiled at him, and nodded, "Sure."

He returned her smile, and they left, heading towards the bar that they frequented. Elliot ordered their drinks, and looked up at the TV screen. There was a case going on in Queens… a woman, raped. He shook his head, looking down at his drink. He dealt with enough of that during work… he didn't need to deal with it on his free time, too.

Olivia rested her hand on his shoulder, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She was thinking the same thing. He sipped his drink, and sighed.

They hung out for a while, and then separated for the night. Elliot went home to his empty apartment, and headed straight to bed. He was tired, and he knew that he had a long day ahead of him. What he didn't know, though, was exactly how long it would be.

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><p>The next morning was very much like the one before. When Elliot came in, Olivia was already sitting at her desk, and there was a coffee sitting on his. He sat down, and lifted the cup in mock cheers. "Thanks, Liv."<p>

She smiled at him, "No problem."

He took a sip, and they got to work.

It had been only an hour when two men in suits walked into the bullpen, "Is Elliot Stabler here?"

Elliot dropped his pen, and stood up, confused at why these men were looking for him, "Right here."

Olivia, John and Fin looked up as well, watching the scene unfold before them. The one on the left spoke, "I'm Detective Ferris, this is Detective Sanford. We're from Queens SVU."

Elliot's thoughts immediately went to the news that he had seen in the bar the night before. Queens SVU had that case… so why were they here? Sanford held out a piece of paper with photos of what must have been six or seven women, "Do you know any of these women?"

Elliot scanned each one, and shook his head, "No. I've never seen any of them."

Olivia's eyes narrowed from her spot sitting at her desk. Why was her partner being worked like a perp? She recognized the tone, the demeanor of these two detectives. She had done the same thing with perps in the past. But Elliot hadn't done anything wrong. He couldn't have.

"They're all dead," Ferris stated, "And they have one thing in common."

"And what is that?" Elliot asked, beginning to get on edge. He didn't like the tone of these detectives. Why were they telling him this? And why did they sound like they were talking to the scum of the earth? He was on the same side they were. In the back of his mind, he knew, though. It was the only logical reason. But it didn't make any sense…

"They were all raped. And they all have your DNA inside of them," Sanford said.

Elliot's eyes bugged out of his head, and his blood ran cold, "_What?_"

Olivia blinked hard, trying to process what the detective had just said, just _accused_ Elliot of.

"We're here to arrest you for the rape and murder of seven women," Ferris said.

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><p>AN: Damn! Told you this would be different. Please, PLEASE review if you guys like this and want to read more. If I don't get many reviews, I'll scrap it because I won't think anyone likes it. It only takes a few seconds, and it brightens an author's day


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Due to all the great feedback you guys gave me, I decided to continue this. Enjoy chapter 2 of Incriminated!

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><p>"We're here to arrest you for the rape and murder of seven women," Ferris said.<p>

Elliot wanted to vomit. How could they… how did his…?

"You're joking, right?" Elliot asked, looking from detective to detective.

"No, we're not," Sanford answered, "I need your gun on the table and your hands up."

Elliot shook his head, "This is a mistake. You've got the wrong guy…"

"No, we don't. I need your gun on the table and your hands up," Sanford repeated, "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Elliot stared at the two detectives in shock. Their hands were at their hips, ready to pull out their guns, ready for him to fight… This wasn't real. This couldn't be possible, he didn't do anything wrong!

"Stabler," Ferris said, "Don't make us force you."

"Alright," he answered hoarsely, "Alright, you win. Just… just be cool." He took his service weapon out of the holster, placed it on the desk, and slowly put his hands up.

"Against the wall," Sanford ordered, and Elliot complied numbly. He stepped over to the wall, and rested his forehead and the palms of his hands against the cool surface. His eyes lowered to the floor as he felt one of the detectives patted him down. He hadn't done anything, and now he was being searched by his own company, his own people.

"What the hell is going on?" he heard the voice of his captain say as one of his hands were brought down behind his back, "Why is my detective being cuffed?"

He heard the click of the handcuffs, then the cold metal tightening. He winced slightly as the cuff dug into his skin and squeezed his bone tightly.

"He's being arrested for rape and murder," Ferris answered as Elliot's other hand was cuffed behind his back, "Let's go, Stabler."

Elliot looked at Cragen, and the captain could see the shock in his eyes. His gaze then turned to Olivia. He only got a chance to look at her for a second before Ferris pulled him along.

"Call Casey. Now," he heard Cragen say before they left the squad room.

And then he was in the back of their car. He leaned his head back against the head rest, and sighed shakily. This was so messed up. How could these detectives possibly think that he raped seven women? And how the _hell_ did they get his DNA?

The ride was long and uncomfortable. But finally, the car stopped, and Ferris opened the door for him. He got out, almost immediately feeling Ferris's hand grasping his arm, guiding him. He thought briefly about trying to run, but dismissed the thought quickly. Even if he got away, it wouldn't accomplish anything. It would just get him into more trouble that he didn't deserve.

Soon, he was sitting in an interrogation room. He sat at the table with his head in his hands, wondering how he had gotten into this mess. It was hot in the room… he had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie. He knew that it was just an interrogation tactic… he had done the same thing in the past. It took a while for someone to come in to talk to him. He wasn't expecting anything different… another tactic, something else that he would do.

Elliot heard the door open, then close, but he didn't look up. He continued to look down at the table.

"You ready to talk, Stabler?" he heard Ferris ask. He raised his head, and saw the two detectives.

"There's nothing to talk about. I didn't do anything."

"Forensics tell a different story," Sanford said, "And you know that forensics never lie."

"Well, they're lying this time," Elliot answered, "I've never seen those women before. And I sure as hell never raped or killed them."

"Yeah, you did. It's time you start telling the truth."

Anger welled up inside of him, "I've been working at SVU for years. After seeing all the things I saw and helping all those victims, you think I raped all those women? That's disgusting."

Suddenly, there were hands on his shirt, and Sanford slammed him up against the wall, "You're disgusting! _You_ did this, Stabler! You! _You're_ going to prison, and _you're_ getting a needle in your arm!"

The wind was knocked out of Elliot, and it wasn't from Sanford's attack. He could barely speak, "I-I didn't… I swear…"

"Let go of him, Detective," he heard a familiar voice say from the doorway.

Then the hands were gone, and so were the two detectives. His knees were weak, he felt like he was going to collapse. Casey was in front of him, her hands were on his shoulders, "Elliot? Hello?"

"Casey?" he rasped.

"Yeah. It's me. Come on, sit down."

He stumbled over to the chair, and sat, dropping his head into his hands, feeling wetness prickle his eyelids, "I-I didn't do this, Case… I swear, I didn't…"

"I know you didn't, Elliot. But I need you to calm down. I need you to listen to me, okay? This is important."

He nodded, scrubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms as he looked up at her.

"What do they have on you?" she asked.

"DNA," he whispered.

"DNA?" she asked, and he could hear the surprise in her voice. He bit his lip, and nodded his head, "I-I don't know how."

Casey sighed, "Okay, okay. You'll make it through this. I promise I'll think of something. Just don't say anything else to them, okay? You know that, right?"

Elliot nodded his head, "Yeah… I won't…"

"Good," she said, "I have to go. You know what happens next."

A cold shiver ran down his spine. Yes, he knew. And he also knew that it was going to be hell. Casey noticed his turmoil, and her gaze softened. She pulled him into a gentle hug. It wasn't normal for them to do, but this wasn't a normal situation. She figured he needed it, "You're gonna be okay, Elliot."

"I hope so," he answered softly. She pat his back gently, and slowly pulled away, "Hang in there, okay?" He nodded, and watched as she walked out of the interrogation room.

Only a few minutes later, Ferris walked in, "Get up."

Elliot slowly got to his feet, and slipped his suit jacket back on. He was cuffed again… the detective's hand burned through Elliot's suit, into his bicep as he was led out of the bullpen. This time when they walked outside, mobs of press were waiting for them. He was bombarded with questions and recorders in his face, which really wasn't anything new, but this time it was different. He ignored them, and got into the back of Ferris's car after he opened the door.

He sighed shakily, and leaned back against the seat, squeezing his eyes closed. What had he done to do deserve this?

"Why did you do it?" he heard Ferris ask as the car started moving, "Huh?"

His eyes opened slowly, and saw the detective looking at him through the rearview mirror. "I already told you that I didn't."

He knew why Ferris didn't believe him. DNA… somehow they found his DNA. How, he wished he knew.

"We know that you did. Stop trying to deny it."

Elliot shook his head, and his eyes closed again. He didn't know what else he could say to make the detective understand.

Time went by as a blur, and soon, he was sitting in a cell. His head was in his hands. He was biting his bottom lip so hard that he was surprised it wasn't bleeding. He wasn't being arraigned until the next morning… he had to sit in this cell all night.

He sighed shakily, thinking that he should probably get some sleep. He knew that he had a long day ahead of him… mobs of press asking him about things that he didn't do, cops, his own kind, looking at him like he'd betrayed them.

He laid down slowly, and turned on his side so that his back was facing the cell door. He didn't want to look at the bars that imprisoned him. Instead, he saw the dreary, dark gray walls. He closed his eyes, and silently hoped that sleep would come.

His prayers went unanswered, though. He only got a total of a half hour of sleep that night.

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><p>AN: Poor Elliot :( Thanks for reading, and please review to let me know if I should make a chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, guys. Here's Chapter 3, enjoy!

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><p>His prayers went unanswered, though. He only got a total of a half hour of sleep that night.<p>

Elliot was a zombie the next morning before the arraignment. Casey met him in the courthouse, and nearly gasped at his appearance, "My God, Elliot. You look terrible."

Elliot shrugged his shoulders, running a hand over his scruffy cheeks, "I'm being arraigned for rape. Didn't have a very good night."

Her gaze softened, and she fixed his suit as best she could so that he looked at least partially presentable. She took one look at his scruffy, mused up hair and reached into her purse to grab a comb. When she held it out to him to take, he looked at it as if he'd never seen one before.

She sighed, and reached up to run the comb through his hair. It was getting longer that usual… she shook her head, and put the comb away before looking back at him. There was a blank, far away look on his face. She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Elliot? You still with me?"

"Huh?" he asked, focusing in on her.

"It's gonna be okay, Elliot. I promise everything's gonna be okay."

She guided him over to the bench, and sat him down gently. He leaned back against the wall, and Casey sat beside him.

"Hey," she stated softly, "You've got me. I'll get you out of this, I promise."

He shook his head, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Case. They have my DNA. They're going to convict me. I should just accept it."

"Hey," she chided gently, "Did I just hear Elliot Stabler give up?"

"I'm not giving up," he answered, "I'm just trying to take what I can get."

"The man that I know would never let people think he was a rapist. Elliot, you hate them. You'd kill them if you had the chance."

"I know," he snapped, "But what the hell am I supposed to do? They have my DNA. What jury wouldn't convict with positive DNA identification?" the next part was so soft that she had to lean in to hear, "Besides, if it gives those women's families some peace, then…"

"Don't you dare finish that," Casey said, "Those families would want the real rapist. They wouldn't want to put a good cop behind bars."

Elliot sighed shakily, and Casey pat his back, "Come on, we have to go. Arraignment starts in a few minutes."

He nodded slowly, "Okay."

Elliot sleepwalked through the arraignment. Only a few statements stuck out in his mind.

"I'll hear the People on bail."

"Remand, Your Honor."

"That's punitive, Your Honor," Casey said, "My client, Detective Stabler has been a police officer for over a decade. He has four children; he's not a flight risk. ROR would be more appropriate."

"Detective Stabler's wife left him and took his children with her. And given the nature of the charges against him, he shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets."

"Let's split the difference. Bail is set at one million dollars."

Elliot sighed shakily. He'd stay in jail… there was no way he could make that. Casey's hand went to touch his shoulder, "Don't worry, El. I'll get you out."

He didn't answer. There was nothing he could think to say. He glanced at her while a bailiff approached him, and led him out of the courtroom. Handcuffs went around his wrists, and the mobs of press were around them when they stepped outside. Questions were yelled in his face, as usual. He kept his head down, and he was actually grateful when the officer guided him into the back of the squad car. Finally, he had some quiet.

Elliot closed his eyes, and sighed, wishing more than anything that when he opened them, he'd be sitting in the passenger seat next to Olivia, working on a case, or just hanging out like they always did.

No such luck. When his eyes opened, he was still sitting in the back of the car, his hands were still cuffed uncomfortably behind his back, and he was still on trial for raping and murdering seven women that he had never touched.

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><p>Riker's Island. More handcuffs, more jail cells. Guards led him down the bleak, poorly lit corridor, and into the cell that would be his temporary home.<p>

He chuckled darkly. Home sweet home. The only good thing was that he actually got to be alone. Sighing heavily, he made his way to the bed, and laid down. He was exhausted… he just wanted to sleep, to escape the hell that he was living for just a little while at least.

The mattress was hard and lumpy, but it didn't matter. He was too tired to care. Sleep didn't come easily, though. He was exhausted, but he couldn't get his mind to relax. He rolled onto his side, pulled the pillow further under his head, praying to God for some rest.

He blinked slowly, his eyes closed, and finally, he drifted off.

A gruff voice woke him, "Stabler!"

He sat up, wiping his eyes, "What…?"

"Your bail has been posted," the guard stated, opening the door to the cell, "You're free to go."

Confusion seeped into his system, but he didn't wait. He got up, and stepped out of the cell, eager to see who would be waiting for him.

Casey and Olivia. When he got close enough, he didn't hesitate. He pulled Casey into a hug first, and then his partner. His best friend. This hug was longer, though. Once her arms went around him, he couldn't let go. Olivia didn't seem to mind, though. She rocked him back and forth gently, ran her hand through his hair, "Shh… it's okay, El. I'm here, I've got you."

"How?" he asked in a whisper, still unable to let her go.

"It doesn't matter. You're out, that's all that does. C'mon."

She kept a hand wrapped around his middle, and guided him out of the building. They had the sedan with them… Olivia opened the passenger side door for him, figuring he had spent enough time in the backseat of police sedans.

"Are you okay, Elliot?" Casey asked from the backseat.

He shook his head, swallowing hard, "No. Not really."

Olivia knew Elliot. She knew that he didn't admit to weaknesses very easily. So she knew that he was really hurting. And he had reason to be. It wasn't just about going to prison to him. He had dedicated his life to getting rapists, pedophiles and child molesters off of the streets, and now he was being accused of being a rapist and a murderer, the kind of person who he hated. It was hurting him deeply, and she knew it.

She pat his hand gently, "We know you're innocent, El. I don't know how anyone could think you did this."

He shrugged, leaning back in the seat, "Me neither."

The rest of the ride to his apartment was quiet. Olivia and Casey both knew that he didn't feel like talking.

"Thank you," he said softly when they pulled up in front of his building. Olivia nodded her head, "You don't have to thank me. Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Okay," she said, and gave him a warm smile, "Get some rest, huh? You look exhausted."

"I will," he answered, opening the door, "See you soon, Casey."

"Alright, Elliot," the A.D.A said.

Elliot walked into the building, and up to his dark, lonely apartment. He turned on the light in the living room, and went to the cupboard, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. He needed a drink… badly.

A few hours later, he was laying passed out on the couch. The empty glass had fallen to the floor; the bottle was nearly empty on the coffee table. He had no dreams that night.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading! I'm hoping for at least nine reviews this chapter; I know you guys can do that for me! It only takes a second to send me your thoughts, but it makes me feel great, and it also keeps me updating quick.


	4. Chapter 4

Elliot woke up to a sharp pain in his head and a churning in his stomach. He groaned, and rolled off the couch, heading into the bedroom. He fell onto his bed, and tried to get back to sleep.

It didn't work, though. Sleep did not come again. Instead, he lay awake. He didn't get up, however. There was nothing else that he could do. He couldn't go back to work, his gun and badge had been taken away. He thought about stopping by anyway, but decided against it. He didn't think he would be able to stand the looks that he would get.

So he just laid in bed, not really trying to sleep, but not trying to stay awake, either. He drifted in and out, sleeping a few minutes, laying in a dream-like haze for a few minutes. He was brought back to full wake by the doorbell.

He sighed heavily, and got up from the bed, running a hand through his hair as he headed robotically towards the front door. When he opened it, he saw Captain Cragen standing on the other side.

The captain's heart dropped when he saw his detective's appearance. His hair was messy, it looked like he hadn't shaven in days. There was a deep frown on his face.

"Hey, Elliot," he greeted gently, "Mind if I come in?"

The younger man shook his head, and stepped aside silently. Cragen walked in and closed the door behind him, keeping his eyes on the detective.

"How're you holding up?" the captain asked, sitting on the couch, watching Elliot as he dropped onto the recliner.

Elliot shook his head, "Not too good," he admitted, staring down into his lap.

"I'm sorry," Cragen said.

He shrugged, "Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."

"I know," the captain answered, looking intently at him, "I wish I could help."

"No one can," Elliot stated, and Cragen could hear the despair in his tone, "I'm going to jail for the rest of my life."

Cragen shook his head, "You can't think like that. You're innocent, and we'll prove it."

"DNA," he said, "They have my _DNA_ for Christ's sake. How the hell did they get my DNA? I've never seen any of those women in my life!"

His chest was heaving, his fists were clenched, and he felt like hitting something. Bitter tears were forming in his eyes. He blinked them away immediately, though. He wasn't sad, he was pissed off. He shot to his feet, allowing himself to let go. It was much easier to be angry than upset. Next thing he knew, he was pacing.

Cragen stood, and stepped in front of him, placing his hands on his shoulders, "Elliot."

"What?" Elliot asked.

"Relax," the captain commanded gently, "Okay? Just relax. Getting angry won't help. I know that you're upset. It might seem like being angry is easier, but it isn't. It'll just hurt you more in the end."

Elliot pulled free of Cragen's grasp, and dropped down onto the couch, dropping his head into his hands. He sighed shakily, "I know. You're right. You're right… I just…"

The captain sat down next to him, and pat him gently on the back, "It's okay. I know. You're gonna be fine."

Elliot looked up at him, and the older man could see wetness glimmering in his eyes, threatening to fall, "I hope so."

Cragen nodded his head. He hoped so, too. God, he hoped so, too.

The captain stayed with him for a while longer before standing, "I have to go back to the precinct," he said regretfully. He didn't want to leave Elliot alone like this, but he had no choice. He had to get back to work.

Elliot nodded slowly, and Cragen leaned down to squeeze his shoulder, "You hang in there, alright?"

"Y-yeah," he answered, "I'll try."

"Alright," the captain said, and got up, heading out the door.

And then he was alone again. He didn't like being alone anymore… the silence was suffocating him. He needed to get out, he needed some air.

Before he knew it, he was out on the sidewalk, blindly walking with the crowd. He got looks from some people, clearly they read the newspaper and knew who he was and what he was being accused of. But he didn't care. He didn't care at all.

He jumped when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. His hand was shaking when he brought it out. "Stabler," he said into the receiver, and he was surprised by how weak his voice sounded.

"Hey, El," he heard Olivia's voice greet.

"Liv," he said, relieved to hear her voice. She could always calm him down.

"The captain told me he stopped by to see you," Olivia stated.

Elliot nodded, even though he knew that she couldn't see him, "He did."

"Do you mind having another visitor?" she asked, "I'm about to leave work."

"Sure," he answered, actually happy that she had offered. Now he didn't have to be alone.

"Okay," she said, "See you in a little while."

He flipped his phone shut, and turned around, heading back to his apartment. When he walked inside, he threw his jacket on the hook, and fell onto the couch. He didn't turn the TV on. Usually, he would, but somehow he didn't feel like watching abnormally happy families or unrealistic crime dramas.

There was a knock on the door a while later and he shouted for whoever it was to come in. Olivia opened the door, and smiled softly at him, "Hey. I brought you some dinner, you hungry?"

He shrugged lightly as she placed the bag on the coffee table and sat down next to him. She opened the bag, handing him a carton. He opened it, and saw the sweet and sour chicken that he loved.

"Thanks," he said, taking the pair of chopsticks that she offered him.

"I figured you could use something good to eat," she answered, reaching out to rub his shoulder gently.

Elliot looked into the carton, and picked out a piece of chicken, popping it into his mouth. Somehow it wasn't as appealing as it used to be. He ate a few pieces, and set the carton down on the coffee table in front of him, "I'm not very hungry."

She looked at him, and saw his sad, tired eyes, the deep frown on his face… God, he looked so sad, so resigned. He was being beaten into the ground by this, and it was taking it's toll on him. She sighed, setting her food down next to his.

"C'mere," she said softly, pulling him into a gentle hug. He relaxed into her embrace, and set his head against her shoulder. He was grateful for the contact. It felt good to let her hold him.

"I know that it's hard," she whispered in his ear, rubbing his back lightly, "But I'm here for you. You're not alone, I promise. I'm not going to let them ruin your life; it's all going to work out."

"I keep hearing that," he said softly, "But what if it isn't? What if…"

Her arms tightened around him, "Don't even think it. You're innocent. And they're going to realize it, and you'll be okay."

He shook his head, "They have my DNA…"

"I know they do," she said, "But once Casey gets your character witnesses up there, the jury will know what a good man you are. They'll never convict."

Elliot sat up slowly, looking at her intently, "DNA trumps all. We both know that. The just doesn't care what kind of person…"

"Shh," she shushed gently, "Don't think about it. You're home now. Let Casey deal with it, she's your defense attorney. She's doing everything she can to make sure you stay a free man.

Olivia was right. He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. Olivia squeezed his shoulder gently, and frowned, "You're so tense, El. Try to relax."

He shrugged "I can't… been under a lot of stress lately."

"I know you have been," she answered softly. She stood up, and held out her hand for Elliot to take, "Come on."

Elliot hesitated, but placed his hand in hers, rising to his feet. She guided him into the bedroom, sitting him down on the mattress. He sat, waiting with curiosity as she sat behind him. Her hands went to his shoulders, and she began massaging them gently. He was surprised for a moment, but it quickly dissipated. Damn, that felt good… a soft groan fell from his lips, and she chuckled lightly, "Feels good?"

"Yeah," he answered, feeling his muscles start to relax a little bit. She continued to rub his shoulders, working out all of the kinks. His shoulder cracked, and he grunted softly. Her hands slid over to the front of his chest, and she rubbed his collarbone gently.

"Lay down," she said softly when she had finished with his upper body. He did as she asked, laying flat on his stomach.

And then her hands were on his back, pressing into her skin, further relaxing him. His eyes fluttered closed, and his arms crossed under his head. She worked that for a while, then moved to his lower back.

By the time she was finished, he was very relaxed, and very sleepy. Her hand ran gently up his back, and she smiled, knowing that he was going to fall asleep, "Night, El," she whispered.

"Wait," he said softly looking at her with half-open, sleepy eyes, "Will… will you stay?"

"If you want me to, I will," she answered, running her thumb gently over his temple.

He nodded his head silently, his eyes drooping closed a little more. She smiled, and covered him with the blanket before laying down next to him.

He'd always loved her. He couldn't remember a time that he didn't. But he'd always been afraid. Afraid of what she would do or what she would say if she knew. However, in that moment, he was too tired. Too tired, too stressed out and too messed up to care about any of that. So he scooted close, resting his head against her chest, and let his eyes close the rest of the way.

A smile came across her lips when he did this. She'd loved him for just as long as he'd loved her… it felt good to be this close to him. She wrapped her arms around him, held him close. It made her feel better… she wouldn't tell him, but she was just as worried about him as he was worried about himself.

She knew that he was safe in her arms. She would do anything to keep him safe and happy, and her heart was breaking for him now. He didn't deserve what he was being forced to live through.

When she was sure that he was asleep, she leaned down, and pressed a sweet, gentle kiss to his forehead. Satisfied that he wouldn't wake up until morning, she closed her eyes, and went to sleep as well.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. I'm happy about the feedback you've been giving me! I think that eight seems like a reasonable number, so I'm asking for eight reviews before I post the next chapter. I know you guys can so it! Not only do I love getting your feedback, but I also love knowing if you guys are reading and if you like it or not. If no one reviews, or if only a couple review, I'll think that no one is reading So let me know how I'm doing!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here'e the next chapter, guys. Sorry for the long wait.

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><p>When Elliot woke up, he was warm and comfortable. His eyes were still closed, but he could feel gentle arms wrapped around him. His eyes opened, and he saw Olivia. She was awake, smiling gently at him, "Morning, El."<p>

"Morning," he answered softly.

"How're you feeling?" she asked. He sighed, and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, "I… I don't know."

She didn't really know what to say to him. Telling him that it was going to be okay didn't work… neither of them really knew if it was going to be okay. It might never be okay again. So she just stayed for a while, looking at him. He was frowning, like usual. It had been too long since he had smiled, she realized. Way too long.

El," she whispered, making him turn towards her, "Whatever happens, however this turns out, you'll always have people who care about you. You'll always have me and the squad. We know that you'd never do something like this."

He nodded his head, both happy and disappointed that she had stopped trying to tell him that everything was going to be okay. Maybe if she had kept saying it, he would eventually believe it.

Olivia had to leave for work soon after that. And then Elliot was alone again. He sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the sitcom that was playing on the TV. He'd been watching it for twenty minutes, and he had no idea what it was about.

There was a knock in the door, and he sighed, flipping the TV off before walking to the door. When he opened it, he say Casey standing on the other side, "Hey, Casey," he greeted, stepping aside to let her in.

"Hey, Elliot," she answered, walking into the apartment, "Just came by to see how you're doing and talk to you about the case."

Elliot nodded, and gestured to his couch, "Take a seat."

They both sat down, and Casey spoke up, "How have you been holding up?"

Elliot shrugged, looking down at his hands, "At least I'm not in jail. Yet."

Casey nodded, "I know you don't want me to sugarcoat any of this. I was looking everything over, and… Elliot, if you're convicted, they're going for the death penalty."

He sighed shakily, scrubbing a hand over his face, "I…I figured they would. And they have my DNA…"

Casey nodded her head, frowning slightly. She knew that he didn't think he would make it through this. And honestly, she wasn't sure, either. DNA evidence and the death penalty… the chances weren't very good.

Elliot cleared his throat, folding his hands in his lap, "So… what else is there?"

"Well, you have alibis for a few of the murders, but not all of them," the A.D.A. said, "I'm not sure about that."

He nodded, thinking silently. He couldn't help but think that it didn't matter. Alibis, character witnesses… nothing mattered except that positive DNA sample. That one acronym repeated in his mind over and over. DNA...DNA…DNA…

Elliot shook his head almost violently. He didn't know how much longer he could stand this. Could he even make it to the trial?

"Hey," Casey said, pulling him back to reality, "You still with me?"

"What?" he asked, "Oh. Y-yeah. I guess so."

The A.D.A. sighed, "What are you thinking?"

Elliot hesitated, biting his lip, "I'm… I'm going to die. Aren't I?" They're going to convict me, they're going to… give me the death penalty."

"There's still a chance…"

"Don't give me that," Elliot interrupted, "Tell me the truth."

Casey's gaze softened as she realized that she had been wrong. She had thought he wouldn't be able to handle the truth. That wasn't the truth, though. The thing that he couldn't handle was more lies, more empty promises. She reached out to pat his hand gently. She hated telling him this… but it was what he needed.

"You're probably right," he said softly, "But we should stay positive, alright? There's still a chance. It might be small, but there's still a chance, and we can take advantage of that. Okay?"

He nodded slowly, "Yeah. I guess you're right."

"I am," Casey said, giving him a small smile. She checked her watch, then looked back up at him, "I should get going. Try to get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll try," he answered.

He was slightly disappointed when she walked out the door. He really didn't want to be alone. He almost couldn't take it. He looked around his quiet, empty apartment for a moment, then walked into the bedroom, collapsing on the bed. Thoughts of court the next morning were running through his head. He was nervous. Why wouldn't he be? Twelve people would be deciding his fate, whether he lived or died. Whether his life would be ruined or spared.

Elliot shook his head. Why was he being forced to live through this? He was innocent, damn it. A sigh escaped his lips. Well, he couldn't do anything about it now. It was happening, whether he was ready for it or not. His eyes fluttered closed, and he wished that he could just sleep and get away from it all. But sleep did not come.

He laid there for a while, eyes closed, until he was too aggravated to lay there anymore. He sat up, wiping his eyes, thinking about going into the kitchen and getting nice and drunk. As appealing as it sounded, he decided against it. It wouldn't be good showing up to court with a hangover. So instead, he walked into the living room, and plopped down on the couch.

He lay there, staring up at the ceiling for a while as his mind slowly shut down, bringing him into an unconscious type sleep.

Getting ready the next morning was mechanical. He showered, dressed in a suit that felt strangely suffocating, and headed to the courthouse. Mentally, he tried to prepare himself for what was to come, but in the back of his mind, he knew that it wouldn't be enough.

Casey was waiting for him when he walked inside the courtroom. She smiled softly at him, "Hey. How are you doing?"

He sighed, shaking his head, "As good as I can get, I guess…"

"You look better," she stated as they walked down the hall, into the courtroom. Elliot was surprised at how many familiar faces he saw. Captain Cragen, Munch, Fin, Olivia. People from the station that he wasn't even close to, there to support him.

He sat in his spot at the table on the left, and folded his hands, waiting. The judge walked in, opening arguments began. He wasn't surprised by what the prosecutor said about him… he was bad, he was dangerous, and he needed to be in prison… all untrue.

Casey stood, and placed her hands on his shoulders, "I'd like you all to meet Elliot Stabler. He's been on the police force for fourteen years. He's currently Detective First Grade in Manhattan's Special Victims Unit. Every day, and sometimes all night, he works to rid our city of rapists, pedophiles, and child molesters. He had awards, commendations, and letters from victims thanking him for arresting their attackers."

Casey moved her hands from Elliot's shoulders, and started to walk towards the jury, "Elliot Stabler is a good man. I don't believe a word of these accusations. If you knew him, you would know that he is incapable of these terrible crimes. Yes, the physical evidence points to him, but in this case, the evidence is wrong. My client is innocent. Thank you."

The rest was a blur. Elliot didn't pay much attention… he couldn't. It was funny… he could watch the trials of cases he worked, but he couldn't bear to watch his own.

Finally, the day was over. Elliot got up, shaking his head violently. Munch, Fin, Olivia and the captain were by his side in an instant, ready to help him.

"El?" Olivia asked softly, "You okay?"

He loosened his tie, standing, "I gotta get out of here."

Olivia put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from taking off like she knew he would, "It's going to be okay. C'mon."

They walked out of the courtroom together, no one really said anything. They couldn't really think of anything to say. Elliot sighed shakily, "I need a drink."

There were quiet laughs all the way around, and Casey pat his arm gently, "I have to get going. You hang in there, okay?"

Elliot nodded his head, "Thanks, Casey."

The A.D.A. smiled softly, and turned, heading out. Elliot ran a hand through his hair, and looked at the rest of the group, "Thank you guys for coming."

"We know you didn't do it," Cragen stated, and then a little softer, "We know how hard it is for you."

"It is hard," he said lowly, "I think I'll go home now."

Olivia pat his back lightly, "I have some paperwork to finish, but I'll come by later, okay?"

"Okay," Elliot answered. They said their goodbyes, and Elliot headed out to his car.

When he got back to his apartment, he opened the cupboard, and grabbed a bottle of scotch. When he said he needed a drink, he meant it.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know if you're reading and you want me to continue.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's the next chapter, guys. Only heard from two of you last chapter Anyway, here's Chapter six. Enjoy.

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><p>Elliot sat on the couch, and took a long drink. A sigh escaped his lips… he was tired. Not physically tired, but mentally. He was tired of dealing with this whole mess. He was innocent, why was this happening? He down the remaining contents of his glass, and poured himself another one. That one disappeared, and then another, and another.<p>

He wasn't sure exactly how long he sat in his dark, lonely apartment, drinking, but he knew that it was long enough for a decent, alcoholic haze to settle over him. There was knocking on the door, but he didn't get up. He shouted for whoever it was to come in. He knew who it was, anyway.

Olivia opened the door, and sighed inwardly when she saw Elliot sitting on the couch with a glass of scotch in his hands and a half-empty bottle on the coffee table. She knew that he meant it when he said that he needed a drink, but she had hoped he wouldn't start. She knew that it wouldn't help him… she just wished that he could see that.

"Hey, El," she greeted softly, stepping further inside the apartment.

"Hey," he answered, lifting the glass to his lips. Olivia moved to sit next to him, and gestured to the glass bottle, "How long have you been drinking?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "A while."

The anguish was radiating off of him in waves. She knew why he was drinking. She wished that she could help him and make him feel better, but she didn't know how.

So she just placed a hand on the back of his neck, ad pulled him close, "El… I'm here," she took the glass out of his hand gently, and placed it on the coffee table. He went willingly, resting his cheek on her shoulder. He was too tired to fight her… it felt good to be taken care of, to be helped.

Her hand ran up and down his back slowly, and when she spoke, it was no more than a whisper in his ear, "I know you had a hard day, But it's going to be okay."

Elliot looked up at her with glossy eyes. They were filled with unshed tears. Olivia's heart cracked, and she pulled him into a tight embrace, "It's okay to be upset, El. It's okay to cry."

He shook his head against her shoulder, holding back, He didn't want to cry. He felt pathetic. What kind of man acted like this? What kind of man cried like this? He pulled himself away from Olivia's warm embrace, and picked up his glass, finishing off his drink. It was much easier to drink than to talk.

"El," she said softly, reaching to grasp his empty hand, "No more drinking, okay? Please talk to me."

He shook his head, "It's easier."

"No, it isn't," she answered softly, "You might think so now, but in the end it isn't. Just trust me, El."

"I do trust you," he whispered, setting down the glass and staring down at the floor. Her arm wrapped around him gently, and she pulled him back to her, "Then just let go. I won't think any less of you."

He sniffled, and leaned into her, burying his face in her neck. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks. He didn't care anymore, he couldn't hold it in anymore. Olivia's arms tightened around him, but she didn't speak. She gave him silent comfort, held him close to her.

It took a good while for the tears to stop, and it took longer for him to pull away from her and sit up straight.

"You want something to eat?" she asked softly, keeping her hand on his back. She knew that he hadn't been eating nearly enough lately.

He shook his head, "Not really hungry."

"You sure?" she asked, and he nodded silently, leaning back against the couch cushions. She looked at him for several seconds, and sighed, "You should get some rest, then. Another day in court tomorrow."

She started to get up, but Elliot's hand on hers stopped her, "Don't go," he said weakly, "I won't be able to sleep…"

Olivia sighed, and sat back down next to him, "I'm not going anywhere," she told him, "I tell you what… we'll put on a movie, and sit for a while."

Elliot nodded his head, "Okay."

She got up, put in a DVD, then sat back down, drawing him into her embrace. She held him close, rubbed his back, and rocked him back and forth lightly, hoping to coax him into sleep. . She knew that he needed rest.

It worked. Not even halfway through the movie, he was asleep in her arms. She didn't want to wake him… but he needed to be in bed. So she whispered in his ear, "El."

"Hmm," he answered.

She sat him up gently, "C'mon. Let's get you into bed." He didn't say anything, just let her stand him up and help him into the bedroom.

Olivia pulled back the blankets, sat him down, and started undressing him. She took of his shoes, socks, tie and shirt, then pushed him gently onto the mattress. He was fast asleep once his head hit the pillow.

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><p>Court dates came and went. Olivia felt Elliot pulling away from not only her, but the rest of the squad as well. She didn't know why… he needed help, but he wouldn't let her help him. She was worried about him.<p>

Closing arguments came. Once again, the prosecutor told the jury about what a dangerous man he was, how the evidence proved that he was guilty and that he needed to be in jail. Elliot took a shaky breath, watching as Casey stood. This was the last chance for her to convince them that he was innocent.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury… Mr. Hale is right. The physical evidence does point to Elliot Stabler. I'm not saying that it doesn't. But he could not have committed this crime. You've heard character witnesses. You've heard Mr. Stabler himself. He has dedicated his life to protecting people and putting away criminals. So before you go into that room and find him guilty because of DNA… think about the man whose life will be ruined. Thank you."

When Elliot got up, like always, the squad was around him, ready to help. He didn't say anything, he just started to make his way out. It wasn't like he wasn't grateful… he was. But he just didn't want them to see him on the verge of breaking down like this.

He dropped down on to one of the benches , and leaned back, letting out a shaky sigh. They had done all they could… now it was up to the jury.

Olivia sat down next to him, reaching over to squeeze his knee gently. When she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle, "El? You still with me?"

He raised his gaze to her face, and nodded silently. He didn't trust his voice enough to speak.

Cragen, feeling a pang of pain for the man he thought of as a son, sat on the other side of him, and placed a gentle hand on his back. Munch, knowing that this was a private moment, motioned to Fin. He nodded, and placed a hand on Casey's shoulder, leading them away. They knew that the three needed some space.

Elliot dropped his head into his hands, and Olivia looked at the captain with glossy eyes. He shrugged a single shoulder, patting Elliot's back lightly. She squeezed his shoulders, and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "You're okay, El. You're okay."

He shook his head, feeling his eyes moisten. She ran her hand through his hair, trying to soothe him, but it didn't help very much. Elliot dropped his hands into his lap, and both Olivia and the captain could see the glimmering tears on his face. He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the floor, "I'm going to jail."

Neither Olivia nor the captain knew what they could say. They didn't know what to say because they were afraid that he would be right. They both knew that he was innocent, but the case against him was compelling.

"You're innocent," Don said simply.

Olivia nodded in agreement, "Lean back, try and rest a little. We'll probably be here for a while."

He sighed shakily, and nodded his head, sinking into his seat. His eyes fluttered closed… he drifted off quickly. Olivia sighed, running her hand through his hair, "What are we gonna do?"

Cragen shrugged, "There's nothing we can do. We just have to wait and see what happens."

"He doesn't deserve any of this."

"No, he doesn't."

She watched him sleep for a good while. Poor guy… he must have been exhausted. She wasn't surprised. Don stayed as well, relatively quiet. He was still asleep when Casey came back. Her gaze softened when she saw him, dead to the world. Olivia smiled slightly at her, and spoke softly, "Hey, Casey."

"Hi," she answered, using the same soft tone, "It's time. We have to get back in there."

Olivia sighed, looking at Elliot, sleeping peacefully. She didn't want to wake him up… she didn't want to bring him back to this Hell. It would be so much better if he could just remain oblivious. But she knew that she had to wake him, and he had to face this. She ran a gentle hand through his hair, and whispered in his ear, "El. Time to wake up."

He stirred, and his eyes opened slowly. They were still clouded with sleep. He noticed Casey, and spoke softly, "They've decided?"

The A.D.A nodded, "Yeah."

The detective took a breath, and got up, following Casey into the courtroom. He sat down, folding his hands on the table in front of him. There was sweat in his brow as the bailiff handed the judge the piece of white paper that decided his fate. He swallowed as the Judge nodded, and spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant, Elliot Stabler…"

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><p>AN: I know, I know, cliffhanger. Review and let me know if I should continue this!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey, guys. Here's Chapter 7. How did the jury find? What will the consequences on that decision be?

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><p>"We find the defendant, Elliot Stabler," the foreman started, "Guilty of all charges."<p>

His shoulders slumped, he couldn't breathe. His vision blurred as he looked down at his hands on the table. He had known that this was probably going to happen, but now, here… he couldn't stand it. He felt Casey's hand on his shoulder, and heard her voice saying something, but he couldn't understand it. His knees were weak, he felt like he was going to collapse.

Olivia's heart broke when she saw his demeanor go from tense, maybe even hopeful, to defeat. When he turned she saw the despair in his eyes. They were glistening with unshed tears. Elliot felt hands on him, the bailiff, ready to take him away. He heard Casey's voice, "It's okay, Elliot. I'll get you out of this."

His gaze went to Olivia. Her eyes were glistening, just like he knew that his were.

The pain in Elliot's eyes was overwhelming, "Oh, god, El," she whispered, then felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced next to her, and saw Cragen. She could see pain in his eyes, as well. There was a deep frown on his face.

The bailiff led him away, and his heart started to grow cold. It grew colder in the back of the squad car, and colder on his way to Riker's. Soon, he was in a gray jumpsuit, sitting in his bunk, rubbing his hands together slowly. He took a deep breath, and laid back, staring up at the ceiling. This was it. Sentencing in a week, and then he would most likely be in a cell like this for the rest of his life.

Thoughts of his children, of his co-workers, and of Olivia filled his mind. He had lost everything.

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><p>Olivia walked into the lab, where Melinda was working diligently, just as she always did, "Hey, Mel."<p>

The M.E. looked up, and gave her a small smile, "Hi, Olivia. I heard about what happened with Elliot's case. I'm sorry."

The detective tried to smile back, but she couldn't, "Thanks. I actually came to talk to you about that."

"Oh? What's up?"

Olivia took a deep breath, "Listen… we both know that he really didn't do this, right?"

"Yes, of course," Melinda answered.

"Well… then it must be the DNA, right? There must be something wrong with it, someone planted it, _something_. You're the medical examiner, can't you… can't you look at it? Run tests, figure out how this happened?"

The M.E. took a deep breath, "Olivia… you know that he's my friend… you both are. But there are so many other body's that I have to examine, and my boss… I can't. I'm so sorry."

Olivia's heart dropped, "But it's only a few tests. You can't just run a few tests? Sentencing is next week, Melinda. They're probably going to sentence him to death. He's going to die in that prison. I-I can't let that happen."

"You know I would if I could," Melinda told her. She didn't want to say no… she wanted to help get her friend out of prison, but she couldn't.

Olivia felt tears form in her eyes. She blinked them away, and nodded, turning to leave, "Okay. Thanks anyway, Mel."

The other woman opened her mouth to speak, but she wasn't quick enough. Just as the words were going to come out, Olivia was gone from the lab. She felt terrible.

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><p>Elliot felt numb as he sat at the table in the courtroom. The week had gone slower than any other in his life, but now he was here, about to find out what his sentence would be. Casey sat beside him, silent. She knew that there was nothing she could say to make him feel better. She turned, and saw Olivia and the captain sitting in the crowd. She wasn't surprised in the least. Why wouldn't they be there?<p>

He had decided that he wasn't going to say anything at the sentencing. What was he supposed to say? That he was innocent? It was the truth, but there was no way that anyone would believe him now. A jury had found him guilty.

He felt terrible as the families of the victims spoke. He hadn't done it, but he still felt like garbage. The looks that he got from the parents, the husbands… it made him want to sink into a hole and never come out.

"Do you have anything you'd like to say, Mr. Stabler?" the judge asked, looking at him.

Elliot cleared his throat, "No, Your Honor."

"Very well. Then I've made my decision," he stated, "Mr. Stabler, what you have done in unforgiveable. You've taken several lives, and ruined countless others. Because of this, I sentence you to death by lethal injection."  
>Elliot dropped his head into his hands, feeling wetness in his eyes. He wasn't numb anymore. He wished he was. Death… he was going to die. He was really going to die in prison.<p>

Olivia's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Death? That was his punishment for something he didn't do? Sweet, caring, beautiful Elliot… sentenced to death? Elliot stood, and like one week ago when he was here before, Casey was talking to him, but he couldn't comprehend her words. He didn't want to be there anymore… he was tired, moth physically and mentally. He just wanted to sleep. He had just found out that he was going to die, but he didn't even have the strength to feel more emotion.

The bailiff was walking towards him, to take him away. He went willingly. This time, he didn't look at Olivia or the captain. He couldn't.

Soon he was in another gray jumpsuit, and another cell. He didn't take the time to look at his surroundings… there wasn't much, anyway. He just crawled into bed, pulled the thin blanket over him, and went to sleep.

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><p>Olivia sighed shakily as she walked into the darkened apartment. She didn't bother turning the lights on… instead, she headed straight into the bedroom. She flipped on the bedside lamp, and picked up the picture frame on the table. It was of Elliot and her, taken at one of the Policeman's Balls that they had gone to. She was wearing a blue dress, and he was looking incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, with a tie that matched her dress. She remembered it clearly… it wasn't something that they had planned… it had just happened.<p>

Tears formed in her eyes, and se curled up on the bed, pulling his blankets over her. His pillow still smelled like him… she buried her nose in it and inhaled deeply, wishing more than anything that he could be there next to her.

Elliot's eyes snapped open. His chest was heaving and there was a cold sweat on his brow. Nightmare… it was just a nightmare. But it was a nightmare he knew that would come true. He had walked down the gray hallway of the prison, into a small room with a gurney… doctor waiting for him. He had felt the needle prick, felt himself… dying.

He shook those thoughts out of his head, rolling onto his side, trying to get comfortable. It took him a while to get back to sleep.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Poor El Next chapter, a day in prison for Elliot, and Olivia pays him a visit. What will she say? What will _he_ say? Coming up, if you guys want it. Tell me you want it by letting me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the reviews last chapter, guys. Before the next chapter, I just have a little note…

**To The Anonymous Flamer That Didn't Have The Balls To Leave Their Own Name:**

First of all, the thing about Kathy… did you not read in the first chapter that they're divorced? Second, if you knew your facts, you'd know that death row in New York was disestablished in 2008, which is later then when this story takes place. Find out all the facts before you try and quote things like that. And most importantly, DON'T READ IT if you don't like it. Sending an anonymous flame is just a waste of both your and my time. I'm not going to change my story because you decided that you're going to be a jerk. You're the only one that's being childlike.

And for all my other readers, I apologize for this inconvenience, and for the rant, lol. Here's another special note for one of my loyal reviewers, Lulu. Thanks for sending me, like, the best review I've ever gotten, lol. People like you are the reason I love to share my work with all of you in the fanfiction universe. Here's a quick update for you. Enjoy. And for the rest of you, thanks for all the support. Here you go, Chapter 8.

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><p>The next day was horrible. Word in prison travels fast, because by the time lunch rolled around, half of the prison hated him. It only got worse when one of the guards told him that he had an appointment with the resident shrink. He'd honestly rather chew glass.<p>

He was led down a bleak, gray corridor, and into an office. There was a woman sitting behind the desk. She was actually sort of young… maybe around his age, if not a few years younger.

"Hello, Elliot," she greeted, and he was slightly surprised as her tone. She sounded… friendly, "I'm Dr. Andrade."

Not friendly enough, though. He grunted in response, "Why am I here?"

"I see a group of the inmates on death row. I just wanted to meet you, and see how you're doing."

Elliot chuckled darkly, "Why? It's not like my _feelings _matter. I'm going to die, anyway. It's cheaper for the state if I just go back into my cell and hang myself or something.

She shook her head, "You don't strike me as the type of person to do that."

"You don't know me," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest, "You don't know anything about me."

"You're angry, I know that," the doctor stated. She looked at the file on the top of her desk, "And you're here for raping and murdering sever women."

Elliot flinched involuntarily, and looked away from her, "That's what I was convicted of," he said in a softer tone.

"Tell me about yourself," she said, changing the subject, "I like to know my patients."

He shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes glued to his lap, "What do you want to know?"

"Anything you want," Andrade answered. He was silent for several seconds, so she helped him, "You were on the force. Tell me about that."

"Detective. Fourteen years," he said quietly. He gave a dark chuckle at the irony, "Special Victims Unit."

Andrade nodded, "Did you like it?"

"I loved it," Elliot stated.

"Why?"

Elliot looked up at the doctor slowly. He wanted her to look in his eyes when he gave this answer, "Rapists, pedophiles, child molesters… I hate them all. I love getting justice for the victims and putting the perps where they belong. In prison."

Andrade nodded, and spoke softly, "And now you're here."

"And you want to know why," Elliot finished for her.

"Yes," she said, "I want to know why."

He shook his head, "I didn't do it."

"You don't have to lie anymore," she said, "The trial's over, and you're here. You can tell me the truth."

He knew that she wouldn't understand. He knew that she wouldn't believe him. He didn't blame her… he wouldn't, either. He shook his head, dropping it into his hands, "I don't want to talk anymore. I'd like to go back to my cell now."

Andrade hesitated, but decided that it was okay for his first session, "Okay. I'll see you again soon."

The door opened, and a guard walked in to escort him out. He was led back to his cell, where he laid down and just felt sorry for himself.

He laid there for a long while before he heard his name, "Stabler. Get up, you got a visitor."

Another long walk, and he was walking into one of the visiting rooms. His mood brightened just a little when he saw Olivia walk in.

"Hey, El," she greeted softly, "C'mere."

He stood slowly, and she pulled him into a warm embrace. Her hand ran comfortingly through his hair, and down his back, "How are you holding up?"

Elliot shook his head against her shoulder silently. He didn't want to answer that… he _couldn't_ answer that. He didn't want her to know how he felt. She sighed; her grip tightened around him, "I'm sorry, El. I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, there was tapping on the bars, "That's enough. No more contact."

She reluctantly let go of him, and they sat down at the table. She pat his hand gently, "I was talking to Casey. She's going to come talk to you about sending in an appeal."

He shook his head, "What's the point? They have DNA, Liv. I'll be convicted no matter what court I go to."

She knew that he was right… that's what hurt the most. She shook her head slightly, changing the subject, "I talked to Kathy. Your kids miss you."

Elliot shook his head, "It's better if they don't come. This isn't a place for them. I don't… I don't want them to see me like this."

Her gaze softened, "El… I know where you're coming from… but they miss their Daddy."

"Just stop, okay?" his voice wasn't angry, it was hurt. He missed them, too. He missed them so much that it physically hurt. But he couldn't let them see him here, sitting in prison. He couldn't bare the thought of being yelled at for hugging them for too long, "I can't…"

She slid her chair closer to him, and her hand ran up and down his back softly, "I know, El. But it's going to be okay. We'll find proof that you're innocent, and you'll be able to come home. I'm your partner, and partners take care of each other, right? I'm not going to let you die here."

He shrugged his shoulders, looking down at his hands, "You might not have a choice…"

"Hey," she chided gently, "Don't think like that. It's not over yet. There's still a chance, you can't just give up."

He looked up at her, and she couldn't help it. She pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead, trying to comfort him. He melted into her arms, letting his forehead fall to her shoulder. This was the closest to okay that he had felt in a while.

There was more banging on the bars, and the guard's voice once again, "Time's up. Let's go."

Elliot froze, his arm tightened around her. No… he didn't want to leave her. He couldn't leave her. He couldn't go back to his cell, have nightmares about his death. She knew what he was thinking without asking. She squeezed him even harder, and spoke softly in his ear, "You're strong. You can do this, I know you can. I believe in you."

He shook his head, "You believe in me too much."

"No, I don't," she whispered, "Now you have to get up, and go back. You have to push through this, for your kids. For me."

He sighed shakily, and released her, feeling colder than he should have when he did. He desperately wanted to take her in his arms again… but he knew that he couldn't. She framed his face with her hands, and leaned over to kiss his cheek gently, "I promise I'll come back to see you soon."

Elliot nodded, and stood, walking to the door. He was cuffed, and the guard led him away. He went back down the gray corridor, back into his cell, and back into his bed. It seemed like that's all he did anymore… lay in bed. He curled up, and tried to sleep. It was the only way that he could escape the hell that he was living. He only prayed that no dreams- no nightmares- would come.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. El and Liv were pretty cozy… I wonder what will happen. Thanks again to Lulu and the rest of you faithful reviewers. I hope I get the same good feedback (except for the jerk that didn't leave their name) this chapter.

Please review and let me know what you think (but be polite please, lol). I gratefully accept constructive criticism, but please no more flames! Thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey, guys. Thanks for the reviews last chapter. Here's Chapter 9.

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><p>Days passed, his spirit wore down. It didn't take long for him to become a zombie. Each day grew worse and worse.<p>

He was standing near the edge of the yard, hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground. A shadow fell over him, and his eyes rose. There was a tall, muscular bald man standing in front of him, "You're that cop that I've been hearing about, ain't ya?"

Elliot was already nearing his breaking point. He was in this prison for something that he didn't do, and now what? This guy was going to give him a hard time? He couldn't deal with this. "So what if I am? Get away from me."

The man shoved him hard, making him stumble a bit, "You better watch it."

Elliot recovered, and shoved him back, "Go to Hell."

He saw the fist coming at his face, he knew that he had time to dodge it or block it or something, but he didn't care. He didn't even try to move. The fist hit him in the face, and he nearly toppled over. The man didn't stop there. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, bleeding in more places than he could count. It hurt… but not nearly as much it hurt in his heart.

Guards were above him in a second, speaking to him, but he didn't hear or care about what they were saying. His eyes closed, and he drifted into unconsciousness.

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><p>Olivia walked into the infirmary of the prison, and frowned deeply when she saw her best friend, laying unconscious on the bed. He looked terrible. He had a big black eye there were cuts and dried blood on his face. There was dark stubble on his cheeks. She sat down next to his bed, and watched him sleep. She knew that he knew how to fight, how to defend himself. Hell, he was trained to do it. And yet… he was laying in the infirmary, beaten to hell.<p>

Olivia sighed, and dabbed his face with a tissue, attempting to get some of the blood off of his face. He stirred, and his peaceful expression turned into a painful one. She immediately wished that it was peaceful again. A groan escaped his lips, and his eyes opened. She forced a small smile, "Hey."

"Hi," he answered, "Guess you know what happened…"

She nodded her head, "Yep." She watched him silently for a few more minutes, and then spoke, "Did you even try to defend yourself?"

Elliot shrugged his shoulders, lowering his gaze. He didn't say anything… he didn't know what he _could _say.

"El," she said softly, reaching to touch his face, "Please look at me."

He didn't. He _couldn't_. He was too ashamed. A small sigh escaped her lips, "El, please…"

Her voice was so soft, so caring. He couldn't ignore her. He slowly turned to look at her.

"I know you're hurt," she said softly, in the most gentle voice that he had heard in a while, "But please don't give up like this. If not for yourself, for me. I'm doing everything I can to get you out of her, I promise."

He couldn't trust his voice, so he nodded simply. Her hand grasped his tightly, "Hang in there, okay? I promise everything will work out in the end."

Elliot shook his head, "Don't make promises you can't keep," he said in nothing more than a whisper.

She squeezed his hand tightly, "I'm keeping this promise."

He didn't answer, and she sighed, "I should go. Keep yourself out of any more trouble, okay?"

He nodded once, and she squeezed his hand one final time before getting up and walking out. Elliot took a deep breath, closing his eyes, hoping that he could get some sleep. There was nothing else that he could do.

Elliot was released from the infirmary later that night, and went back to his dark, gray, lonely cell. He glanced in the mirror on the wall, and nearly flinched. He had a nasty black eye, a gash on his cheekbone, cuts littering his skin… he looked terrible.

The urge to punch the mirror suddenly overcame him. He clenched his fists and threw himself onto the bed, deciding that he had been beaten up enough. He didn't need glass embedded in his skin, too. He rolled onto his side, feeling his eyes water. Somehow he just wished that the ma had killed him. He was going to die, anyway. He knew that Olivia was working on getting him out, but he was sucked too far into darkness and despair to feel any real hope.

Actually, he was too far into darkness and despair to feel anything, really. He just floated through the days, no purpose, and no drive to go on, to do anything. The only thing he really thought about was his execution date, scheduled to be what seemed like an eternity away. That, and his kids, of course. His heart constricted whenever he thought about them. He missed them so much that it hurt.

But he couldn't let them see him like this. He was too ashamed. They deserved so much better than him… he just wished that things could be normal again. When he put the perps behind bars, instead of being behind them himself.

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><p>The days wore on for Elliot in Attica State Prison. The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months without any prospects of getting better. In fact, it was starting to get worse.<p>

He had just finished dinner and was heading back to his cell when he was led into a visiting room. When he walked in, Captain Cragen was sitting at the table waiting for him. The captain took a good look at his detective. _Ex_-detective, he remembered painfully.

But either way, he wasn't looking good. His hair was longer and messier than usual, there was a scruffy beard covering his cheeks, and the captain could tell that he had lost weight. Too much weight, he realized. He was too thin.

"How're you doing?" Cragen asked gently as Elliot sat down.

Elliot snorted, "Look around us, and ask that question again."

The captain nodded his head, noticing the cold edge to his voice. He wasn't surprised… he knew what prison did to people. Especially innocent people like Elliot. Elliot always played the tough guy, the one that no one could break. But Don knew that under the rough exterior, he was just as soft as anyone else. Maybe even softer.

"Point taken," Cragen stated, nodding his head.

Elliot sighed, suddenly feeling bad. This wasn't Cragen's fault. He was just trying to help. "I'm sorry. I just…"

Don held up his hand, silencing him, "It's okay. I understand."

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing shakily, "Why did this happen?"

The captain knew he was about to open up. He wasn't sure what to say, though. He leaned forward slightly, "I don't know why, son. I'm so sorry."

Elliot sniffled, feeling tears prickle the corners of his eyes. He blinked them away, shaking his head. Cragen caught his gaze, and spoke gently, "Talk to me, Elliot."

He swiped away the single tear that had escaped and the phrase that escaped his lips was nothing more than a mistake, "I wanna go home."

Don reached out to grasp his upper arm on the table, "I know. I know you do. I promise you'll get to go home soon."

Elliot shook his head, biting his lip, "I'm gonna die in here. They're gonna kill me, cap… I didn't… I didn't _do_ anything."

"I know you didn't," the older man answered, "We're working hard, Elliot. We're gonna get you out, you just have to believe."'

"Like I believed Casey would get me a not guilty verdict?" Elliot asked, and chuckled sadly, "Look where it got me."

"This will be different," Don said, "You're not going to die. You don't belong here, and we're going to get you out."

Elliot looked up at him, and the captain saw moist eyes, ready to release the tears… he could count how many times he'd seen Elliot like this on one hand. Don squeezed his forearm gently. When he spoke, it was soft, "Don't let them see you cry. You don't have much in here, but you have that. Don't let them take it from you."

Elliot took a deep breath, and squeezed his eyes shut, blinking away the tears. They heard banging on the wall, then a voice, "Time's up. Let's go."

Don could see Elliot's face fall… which was really saying something. Cragen nodded his head, "It's going to be okay. Hang in there, stay strong. I'll come by again soon, alright?"

Elliot gave a single nod, and stood slowly, heading to the door. He held out his wrists mechanically. They were cuffed by the guard, and was led back to his cell. He sighed heavily, flopping down on the lumpy bed. He was so tired… not just physically, but mentally as well.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. Please review and let me know if I should go on.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here's the next chapter, guys. Sorry it took so long to update. I've been in a writing slump :/ But anyway, here you go!

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><p>Elliot was nearly asleep when he heard his name, "Stabler!"<p>

He sat up, and saw a guard waiting in front of his cell, "Get up. It's time for your visit with the shrink."

More handcuffs, more gray hallways, and he was sitting in the office across from Doctor Andrade.

"How are you, Elliot?" the doctor asked in him in an annoyingly caring voice.

He snorted, "How do you think?"

Andrade nodded, "I guess I knew that was coming. I heard your ex-captain paid you a visit."

Elliot looked at her, and nodded his head, "He did."

"What does he think about you being here?" she asked.

The ex-detective shrugged his shoulders as he looked into his lap, "He… he knows that I'm innocent. He knows that I couldn't have done this."

Andrade nodded, "Why does he think that?"

"Because I am," he stated, "Everyone who knows me knows that I couldn't have done what they say that I did. But I know that you don't believe me. No one does," he chuckled darkly, "But then again, I probably wouldn't believe me either."

Doctor Andrade's gaze softened, and her head cocked to the side, "You seem different from anyone that I've ever seen here before."

He shrugged his shoulders, "That's because I _am_ different."

She nodded her head, "I think I'm starting to actually believe you, Elliot."

Elliot looked up at her, surprised, "Really? You are?"

"Yes," Andrade answered, "I am."

He was happy for a split second before he realized the painful truth. His shoulders slumped, "It doesn't matter, though. Even if you do believe that I'm innocent, I'm still stuck in here. I'm still going to die in here."

The doctor frowned, "You're right. But I can make your life a little easier."

"How?" he asked, staring down into his lap.

The doctor shrugged her shoulders, "Shorter sessions in here with me. I can help you cope with what's really going on with you. I can recommend more visiting time with your family and your friends."

Elliot looked up at her, "You'd do that for me?"

Andrade smiled, and nodded, "Of course I would."

"Thanks," he said."

"It's the least I can do," she answered, "You can go now. I'll talk to you soon."

He was led back to his cell, and he plopped down on the bed. He was feeling a little less bitter after his talk with the doctor… he was actually glad that she believed him. It probably wouldn't make a difference, but at least there was one person in this hell hole that knew that he wasn't the sick bastard that everyone else thought he was. But he was still going to be executed, he remembered. He was still going to have to live here until they decided to finally end his misery.

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><p>Two days passed until he got a visitor. When he walked into the room to see who it was, Olivia was waiting for him. She smiled, and got up to hug him, "I'm glad to see you, El."<p>

He buried his face into her neck, holding her back as he nodded, "Me, too."

They hugged for another moment before Olivia let him go, and they sat down next to each other. Olivia liked this better because she could touch him and try to comfort him. She grasped his hand lightly, and noticed the defeat in his eyes, which was becoming more and more prominent with each passing day, "How are you doing?" she asked gently.

He shrugged, looking down into his lap, "I'm alive. Or, for now, at least."

She rubbed his back lightly, "Shh. Don't say that. We're going to get you out of here. You know that, don't you?"

Elliot shrugged again, "Doesn't seem like it so much anymore."

Her heart cracked in her chest. She squeezed his hand tightly, "Look at me, El."

His gaze slowly moved upwards to her eyes, and she framed his face with both hands, "I know it seems really dark right now. I know you feel like you're never goin to get out of here, but you will. I promise you will."

Elliot shook his head, "I've been thinking a lot lately… that's all I can really do in here. I'm going to request that my execution date be moved up."

She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. When she spoke, it was a whisper, "What? Why?"

He shook his head, "I'm not gonna get out of here, Liv. I've accepted it. Now it's time for you to accept it, too."

"I can't," she whispered, "Elliot… I love you too much."

His eyes moistened, and he touched her cheek gently, "If you really love me, you wouldn't want me to suffer like this for much longer."

She couldn't help it. She grasped both of his cheeks, and pressed her lips to his. His eyes closed, and he relaxed into her kiss. Her hand ran gently through his hair, and he shivered under her touch.

"I don't want you to suffer," she told him, "But I don't want you to die, either."

"I don't want to die, Liv," he whispered, "Believe me, I don't. But there's nothing else that I can do. There's nothing _anyone_ can do."

"Yes, there is… El, I can…"

Elliot grasped her shoulders gently, "You can't save everyone, Livia. I know that you want to, but it's not possible. You can't save me."

A single tear streamed down her cheek, "Just wait… please, El. If you just tough through it for a little bit longer…"

"My mind's made up," he interrupted gently, "I'm so sorry, Liv. I hope you can forgive me."

With that, he leaned in to give her a soft, short kiss, and stood, walking to the door. His hands were cuffed, and he was led out.

Olivia wiped away her tears, sighing. She couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe that he was doing this to himself.

Elliot called Casey that day. He called her, but did not tell her about his plan quite yet. He asked her to come and talk to him, and she said that she would.

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><p>Casey arrived the next day, and he was led to one of the visiting rooms. She smiled slightly when she saw him, "Hi, Elliot."<p>

"Hi," he answered, moving to sit across from her.

"What's up?" she asked, "You told me that you needed to see me over the phone yesterday…"

"Thank you, Casey," he said softly, "You didn't have to take my case… you knew that it was probably going to be a loss from the beginning. I'm glad that you did. You did great… the evidence was just against us."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed. This sounded like… a goodbye, "What's going on, Elliot."

He sighed, "I don't… I don't think I'll be needing a lawyer anymore. You should go back to your other cases. It's over."

"You're firing me," Casey stated. It was a question. She knew.

"You never let me pay you," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "This is for the best."

"Olivia told me what you want to do," Casey told him.

Elliot nodded his head, a bitter smile crossing his lips, "I figured she would."

"Don't do this, Elliot," she begged, "Please. There's still a chance, no matter how small…"

"There's no chance, Casey," he told her, "There's no hope. I just want to get this over with."

"I can't stop you, then," she said, "I'm not going to stop trying to figure out the truth, though. No one is."

"I didn't think you would," he answered, standing slowly, "Thank you for everything you've done for me. You have no idea how grateful I am. I just… I just want this to finally be over."

With that, he walked to the door, and was led back to his cell.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading, guys. Hope you enjoyed it, and help me get out of my slump by sending a nice review! Thanks.


	11. REAL Chapter 11

A/N: Wow. Okay, I'm really stupid lol. I accidentally uploaded Chapter 12 as Chapter 11. So the chapter that some of you guys already read was actually Chapter 12, which is AFTER the stuff in this chapter happens. Really sorry about that!

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><p>"Elliot Stabler, I understand you're here to request that your execution date be moved up from February 20th, 2015."<p>

"I am," Elliot answered.

"You understand that this change will be permanent and unchangeable once it is made?"

He nodded, his mouth feeling like sandpaper, "Yes."

"Very well. Your new execution date will be April 16th, 2006, exactly six months from now. Do you agree?"

Elliot took a deep breath, "I agree."

He was back in his cell soon. He laid down on his bed, and his arms crossed under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. A single tear was slowly making it's way down his cheek. He wished that it didn't have to be like this… he wished that he could leave this place behind and go home. But that wasn't going to happen. He was going to stay here for another six months, and then he was going to die.

Elliot rolled onto his side, and his eyes closed. His thoughts went to his kids… Maureen, Kathleen, Dickie and Elizabeth… he felt for them more than anyone. They didn't deserve a father that was in prison. They deserved the best. He only wished that he could have been that for them. But god, he missed them. He wished that he could see them, hear their voices, hold each of them in his arms… but it was too selfish, he thought. They shouldn't be at a prison. It was no place for children.

There was a bang on the door of his cell, and he heard the voice of a guard, "Stabler. You've got a visitor."

He was too numb to wonder who it was. He simply followed the guard's orders, and was led to an empty visiting room. He sat, dropping his gaze to the table as he waited.

"Six months, huh?" came a voice from the door. He looked up, and saw his old captain, in a suit, hands shoved into his pockets.

Elliot shrugged, "Six months."

Cragen sighed, looking him over. It looked as if he had cut his hair, it was neat and cropped, like it was before, but he hadn't lost the beard. It was dark, and groomed… he looked better than he had the last time the captain saw him. Not totally better, but better.

"You look like you're feeling a little better," he stated.

Elliot chuckled darkly, shaking his head, "Looks can be deceiving. Maybe I just want to look good in my coffin."

Cragen winced as he heard the younger man's words, but recovered, and asked, "Why did you move the date up?"

Elliot shrugged, "It really wasn't worth suffering here longer than I have to. I know that you're trying to clear me, but it's time to face the facts. I'm going to die in here. That's it."

Don leaned back in his seat, "You know I'm not giving up on you. Even after… whatever. I'm going to die whatever, I'm going to do whatever it takes to clear you."

Elliot looked up at the captain, and nodded, biting his lip, "Thank you."

"You're like a son to me," Don said, "It tears me apart to see you like this. But I'm here for you. You know that, don't you?"

Elliot nodded, and spoke quietly, "Yeah. Thank you, Don."

The captain reached across the table, and pat his shoulder, "Don't thank me."

The ex-detective gave a weak, half-smile, "You deserve a thank you. You… you deserve a lot more, actually."

"So do you," the older man answered, shrugging his shoulders, "I have to go. Stay strong, okay?"

Elliot nodded his head, "I'll try."

Then he was alone again… back in his cell. He looked in the mirror… and sighed. He didn't see himself anymore. He didn't see the dedicated detective and the loving father. He saw a hardened convict, a prisoner. That wasn't him.

But it was, he realized. This was who he was now. This is who he was forced to be. He laid down on his bunk, and though about his family. His kids, the captain, and Olivia. He missed them so much.

"I heard what you did," Dr. Andrade said, "Moving your execution date up."

Elliot nodded his head, "Yeah. I did."

"If you know you're innocent, why would you do that?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, looking down into his lap, "Because I'm sick of living a lie. I can't go another eleven years like this, I don't even know how I'm going to last six more months."

Andrade nodded slowly, "How did your captain take it?"

"He understands," Elliot answered, "He respects my decision."

"You must be happy about that," the doctor stated.

Elliot looked up at her, "I wouldn't say that I'm _happy_. But I am grateful."

"What about your ex-partner? Olivia?"

His expression immediately darkened, and his eyes lowered, "She's… she's not taking it very well."

"That makes you upset?" she asked detecting his mood.

Elliot nodded his head, "I-I love her." God, it felt so good to say that. It felt so good to finally admit it to himself, "And she told me that she loves me."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I'm happy," he told her, "But… somehow I wish that she didn't."

The doctor cocked her head to the side, "Why?"

He shrugged, rubbing his hands together, "Because I don't want her to hurt. I love her too much. I can't help but think that… it would be better if she didn't care about me."

"That's not true, Elliot," she said, "You should never think that about love."

"Why not?" he asked, "In six months I'll be… dead. And she'll be alone. I don't… I don't want her to have to go through that."

"Then why did you move your execution date up?"

He dropped his head into his hands, "Because I'm selfish. I can't take being here anymore and this is my only way out."

"Your squad is trying to prove that you're innocent, aren't they?"

Elliot chuckled sadly, "Yeah. But they have my DNA. There's no use."

The doctor nodded slowly, trying to figure out the best way to approach this confused, anguished man. Then she realized that what he needed was comfort. There wasn't a way that she could take away his feelings, so she just had to help soothe them.

"You don't have to worry," she said softly, and Elliot looked up at her, eyes glimmering with tears that had not fallen. She smiled at him, and got up, moving to sit next to him. Her arm went around him, trying to comfort him.

"You don't have to worry anymore," she repeated, trying to get through to him, "It'll all be over soon. Soon you'll have peace.

That's when the tears started to fall. He had tried to hold it in, but he couldn't anymore. He sniffled, and whispered, "That's all I want. I just want it to be over."

"I know," she said, and then fell silent, letting him get it all out. He'd been holding it in for too long.

His tears stopped, and he got himself back together, shaking his head, "I'm… I'm tired."

The doctor nodded, "We can stop for now. Go get some sleep and we'll have another session later."

Elliot got up, and was led back to his cell. He laid down, and closed his eyes, sighing shakily. He was tired of everything. He was tired of prison, of being thought of as a monster, of missing his family. He didn't want to die, but he definitely didn't want to live like this anymore. He tightened the think blanket around him, and drifted off into an unconscious type sleep.

Olivia opened the door of Elliot's apartment, and flipped on the light switch. It was exactly the same as the day he was convicted… she hadn't had the heart to do anything with it. She had even taken up his rent. She had to make sure he had a place to stay when he finally came home. But now it looked like he wasn't going to come home, and she couldn't afford to keep paying.

She walked into the bedroom, and sat down, slipping her shoes off. She laid down on the mattress, pressing her nose into the pillow, inhaling deeply. His scent had faded… she sighed. Why did this have to happen to him? Why did she have to lose the only man she had ever really loved?

"I'm sorry, El," she whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes, "I want to save you so much… I love you."

She suddenly heard the door close, and footsteps. She turned, and saw Don standing in the doorway. He spoke softly, "The landlord wants all his stuff out by Friday."

Olivia didn't ask how he knew. She just curled up closer to his pillow. She didn't want to move his things… this was _his_ apartment. This was his home, not Attica. This was where he belonged.

"Liv," the captain said gently, "We should start packing up."

She shook her head, "I-I don't want to, Don."

Don sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I know. But we have to."

She sighed, and finally spoke, "L-let me do in here."

Don nodded, patting her shoulder, "Okay. You start in here and I'll do the kitchen."

Don stepped out of the room, and Olivia stayed in his bed for a few minutes longer before getting up. She headed over to his closet, opening it. His suits were hung up neatly on the left, his jackets and flannel shirts on the right. His shoes were lined up on the floor. Usually he wasn't this neat, she knew. But they usually worked late, then had to get up early the next morning… he'd rather get a few extra minutes of sleep than hunt around for a suit.

She sighed shakily, and started taking down clothes. She used gentle hands… as if part of his soul was in his clothes. She folded them neatly, and stacked them on the bed. When the closet was half empty, she noticed a box on the top shelf. Her brow furrowed, and she reached for it, pulling it down from it's place. She set it down on floor, and opened it's flaps slowly. A smile played across her lips when she saw the stack of the pictures on the top. The first one was a picture of a young Elliot, six or seven years old. He was sitting on a set of steps, smiling at the camera.

He's always been good with pictures, she thought. She flipped through the pictures, and saw him growing up before her eyes. First days of school, his birthdays, Halloweens and Christmases. Summertime at the beach. Her smile grew a little wider when she saw him, wearing a pair of Marine Dress Blues… his military picture. He looked so handsome. Then there were pictures of his tour. The first one was a large group of men in fatigues. She spotted him towards the back, his arms crossed lightly over his chest, giving the small half smile that he often gave.

She set the pictures down on the floor, and looked back into the box. His high school diploma was next, then his discharge papers, and his Police Academy diploma. Her breathing caught in her chest when she saw the shiny metal mounted in a frame. The Metal of Honor? He never told her that he'd gotten a Medal of Honor.

She set it aside, and looked at the set of fatigues that were resting in the box. Below those were a pair of Dress Blues, the ones that he had been wearing in his military picture. She sighed shakily, looking at everything that was in the box. Her gaze went to the closet, where his blue police uniform was hanging.

Getting up, Olivia took it down, folding it neatly and placed it at the bottom of the box. She placed the rest of the items back in carefully, closed it, then put it on the bed.

She was done with the closet soon. Don came in with a few empty boxes, and Olivia started to put his things in them.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Next, Olivia gets a letter… but who is it from, and what does it say? Review to find out! Sorry for the mix up, hope you guys that reviewed to the wrong Chapter 11 review to this one too.


	12. REAL Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait, guys. I just got a new Mac and I've been getting all my files. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. I know you guys read this before, I just accidentally uploaded it as chapter 11 instead of chapter twelve. Go to chapter 11 to read the new stuff that I posted. Sorry for the mix up!

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><p>When Olivia looked in Elliot's dresser, she saw an envelope. Her name was written on it neatly. She opened it, and took out the piece of paper that was inside.<p>

_Olivia,_

_If you're reading this, I'm in jail, convicted of the rapes and murders that they've accused me of. What a bullshit charge, huh? If my life wasn't on the line, I would laugh. But, of course, it is. I'm going to die for this. _

_I'm sorry, Liv. I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted anyone to have to go through this. Especially you, and my kids. My kids… I don't want them to see me in prison. If you see them, please tell them I'm sorry. I wish I could be there for them… no child should grow up without a father._

_And there's you, Liv. We've known each other for seven years, and those seven are some of the best I've ever had. You're the best friend I've ever had. You've seen me at my best, my worse, and everything in between, and vice versa. I don't know how I deserve someone like you._

_I think it goes beyond friendship. That's how I feel, anyway. I never told you this, I've always been afraid… but I love you, Liv. I love you more than I've loved anyone. You're the reason I've been going on for these past few months. I just hope that you feel the same way._

_I only wish that I had the courage to tell you sooner. Maybe if I had, we could've been together for at least a little while. You have no idea how much I dream of holding you, kissing you. I won't be able to make you happy, though. I want you to do just one thing for me… I want you to find someone that can. All's I want is for you to be happy._

_I love you,  
>Elliot.<em>

Tears fell from Olivia's eyes, and met the piece of paper. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever read. Even when he knew he was going to die, he was still only worried about her. He truly was the best man that she had ever known.

The tears continued down her face as she put the letter in her pocket. She couldn't believe this was happening to him. She couldn't believe that he had to die this way, alone, with people that hate him/ She wished more than anything that she could at least be with him…

Everything in his apartment was packed up soon. Olivia and the captain put all the boxes in the living room and sat down on the couch.

"I'll take all of it," Olivia said softly.

Don turned to her, a perplexed look on his face, "All of it? What are you going to do with everything?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. But… I'm not letting someone throw all of his stuff away, when there still might be a chance."

Don squeezed her shoulder gently, unable to say that there wasn't a chance. He couldn't tell her that Elliot wasn't going to make it this time.

"I-I have to go see him," she said softly.

The older man nodded, forcing a small smile, "Go. I'll take care of all this."

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><p>Elliot walked into the visiting room, and stopped short when he saw Olivia waiting for him. She stood slowly, and went to him, wrapping her arms around him. He slowly embraced her in return, resting his cheek on her shoulder.<p>

"El," she said softly, arms tightening around him, "How are you doing?"

He didn't want to say what he was really feeling… he didn't want to make her feel bad, "Okay."

Olivia released him slowly, and framed his face with both hands. Just looking at him made her heart flutter… she just wished that she didn't have to look at him like this; in a prison, on death row.

"Liv?" he asked softly, gripping her wrist lightly.

"I got your note," she told him.

She could see his eyes widen slightly, "You mean…?"

Olivia leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a deep, soulful kiss. He relaxed immediately into her, kissing her back more than willingly. She grasped his hair tightly, pulling him as close as possible. It was the most emotional, meaningful kiss that either of them had ever had. When their lips fell apart, his arms tightened around her, and he spoke softly, "I meant everything that I said in that letter, Liv. I love you… you mean everything to me."

"I love you, too, El," she answered just as softly. He dropped his forehead to hers, letting his eyes close. This is what he had wanted for so many years… being able to hold her, kiss her and tell her how he really felt about her. Finally he could do it, but at no small price. He finally had what he wanted, but now he had to pay his life… for something that he hadn't done. He wished that he had the courage to tell her sooner… he wished that they could really be together, outside this hell. He wished that things could be like they were before.

"I'm sorry, Liv," he whispered, "I wish we could be together. I wish…"

"Shh," Olivia shushed him gently, placing a finger over his lips. She knew what he was thinking. She was thinking the same thing. She wished that she could've said something. She should've just been honest with him, she shouldn't have been afraid. But she was just terrified of losing him… he was all she had. But now she was losing him anyway… she felt like she was on a death sentence, too. Without him, she was nothing. He made her whole, he believed in her, loved her when nobody else did. She didn't know what she was going to do without him. She didn't know what she was going to do when he was really gone.

"I know now, El," she said, "That's what matters."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her jawbone, and buried his face in her neck, losing himself in her warmth and her comfort. He wished that he could stay like this forever. This was so bittersweet… they were finally together, but not for long. "Liv…"

"Don't talk," she instructed gently. She already knew what he wanted to say. She just wanted to hold him and try to forget about things for a little while, "Just relax."

So he did. He closed his eyes, doing as she asked. She held him close, relishing the moment. She loved holding him in her arms. It felt so natural. Like it was always meant to be.

Elliot was more comfortable than he had been in a while. He was comfortable, but he couldn't help the thoughts that were still running through his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I know that… that you're upset that I moved the date up. I just… I don't want to live like this. I _can't_ live like this."

A pang of pain struck her as he said that, but she swallowed it back, "I know," she answered, "I don't like it; I actually hate it… but I understand. I love you, El. I don't want you to suffer, but I don't want you to die either."

He nodded, raising his head to look at her, "You shouldn't have to go through this… I-I'm so sorry, Livia."

Her heart broke. He was apologizing for putting her through him benign in prison and getting the lethal injection. Even in this situation… he was the most selfless person that she had ever known. She touched his cheek gently, and kissed him, "Why are you apologizing? This isn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

Elliot looked away, "I just… I hate seeing you hurt," he sighed shakily, "I should just have pled guilty. Maybe then I wouldn't have to…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence without breaking down.

"Elliot," she said, making him look back at her, "Don't you ever say that. You didn't do this… you really want to admit to doing those horrible things? You're innocent. You did the right thing."

He gave a broken laugh, that turned into a soft sob at the end, "I did the stubborn thing. And now I'm paying for it…"

She pulled him to her tightly, feeling tears prickle at her eyes, "You'd be paying for it if you pled guilty, too. The outcome wouldn't be that different. You were damned both ways, El. They didn't win. You didn't give in, and they didn't win."

"Yes, they did," he whispered, "I'm going to die, and they're free. What's winning if not that?"

"We're going to find them," she answered, "I promise we're going to find him and make him pay for what they did to those women. For what they did to you."

He looked up at her, his eyes glistening, and kissed her gently, almost hesitantly, "I love you."

There was banging on the bars, making him jump, then the guard's voice, "Time's up!"

Olivia stood him up, and smoothed her hands over his chest, "Hang in there, okay? I'll come back soon."

Elliot nodded, putting on his strong face, and walked to the door, where he was cuffed and led back to his cell. He walked to the little sink, and splashed some water on his face. He sighed shakily as he walked over to the bed and sat down. His thoughts went to the people he loved, like they usually did.

He missed them more than ever.

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><p>The months passed by. Elliot became more and more aware of the date… it was five months until his execution, then four, three, two… soon it was only a week. Seven days, a hundred and sixty eight hours.<p>

"Hello, Elliot," Doctor Andrade greeted. Her voice was not cheerful like it always was when she talked with him. It seemed almost sad

"Hi," he answered, taking a seat across from her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking her patient over. He looked different from the first time he walked into her office two days into his sentence. Maybe it was the beard. She thought it was something else.

Elliot shrugged his shoulders as he folded his hands in his lap, "I'm… not really sure."

The doctor nodded slowly, "Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm gonna die in a week," he said, giving a sad, almost dark chuckle, "That's what I'm thinking."

"I don't have to ask how you feel about that," she said.

Elliot shook his head, and spoke, more to himself than to her, "I can't believe it's almost over…"

"Are you angry?" Andrade asked. Usually her patients were… usually they were angry at the whole world.

"No," he answered truthfully, "Not… not anymore. Now I just feel… numb."

"Have you talked with Olivia?"

"Yeah. She comes by a lot. That's what makes this place… bearable."

"But you still haven't talked with your kids," It wasn't a question. She didn't have to ask; she already knew.

Elliot shook his head, his gaze lowering into his lap, "No, I haven't. I…I can't let them see me like this."

"I can't force you to do anything," she said, "But I really think you should let them see you. Let them say goodbye."

His heart clenched in his chest. Goodbye.. they would be saying goodbye, wouldn't they? He sighed shakily, "I-I don't want to say goodbye. It's… it's too painful."

The doctor's gaze softened, "More painful than not seeing them at all?"

He shook his head, dropping it into his hands, "I-I don't know…"

God, he must be the worst father in the world. He hand't seen or spoken to his own children in months. But it was for the best, wasn't it? Prison was no place for children. He was just trying to protect them. Wasn't he?

Andrade sighed, tearing him from his thoughts, "Do you want to stop, Elliot?" she asked him gently.

"No," he answered. He didn't want to go back to his cell quite yet. He didn't want to lay in bed like he always did and think about dying. "No. I just… I don't want to talk about them anymore."

"Okay," she said, "What do you want to talk about, then?"

Elliot shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."

The doctor just looked at him for a moment, trying to read his thoughts, then spoke, "Do you just want to sit for a while?"

He nodded slowly, looking down into his lap. Yes, he just wanted to sit. He just wanted to be vulnerable for a while. He leaned back in the chair, and his eyes closed on their own accord. Andrade watched him quietly. She felt terrible for the man that was sitting across from her. He didn't deserve what he was going though. So she just let him relax in the seat, knowing that this was a rare occurrence for him.

Elliot sat like that for a while. Andrade thought that maybe he felt asleep… but she didn't mind. She let him relax.

His eyes opened slowly, and he leaned forward in his seat, speaking quietly, "I'd like to go back to my cell now."

The doctor nodded, "Okay. You go and get some rest."

Elliot got up, and a guard led him back to his cell. He went to sleep… there wasn't anything else that he could do.

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><p>AN: Please review and let me know what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed past chapters. I loved hearing all the great feedback, so I decided to update early, lol. Enjoy Chapter 13.

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><p>Olivia was getting ready to leave the precinct a week later. She had pushed in her chair and was about to make her way out when Captain Cragen stepped out of his office.<p>

"Olivia," he said softly, stopping her. He leaned against the empty desk across from Olivia's... _Elliot's_ desk. He knew what day it was, and he knew where she was going.

"Captain," she answered, looking up at him. Her eyes were glistening. The captain couldn't help it... he pulled her into a tight hug, feeling his own eyes moisten.

"I wish I could go with you," he told her quietly, "Tell him I'm sorry, will you? Tell him... I love him like he was my own son."

"I will," she answered, her voice trembling as she hugged him back, "I promise."

Cragen nodded his head as he released her, "Don't come in tomorrow. Take as much time off as you need."

"Thank you," she said, knowing that she was going to need more time than he could offer her after this, "Bye."

He watched her walk out, and headed back into his office. In that moment, he felt worse than he had since the day his wife died. He felt like he was losing a son.

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><p>Elliot was sitting in one of the visiting rooms, waiting. He was looking down at his hands; he knew who was coming to see him. It would be the last time they would get to be together.<p>

The door opened, and he saw her walk inside. He stood slowly, "Liv..."

"Hold on," she said softly, and motioned to someone outside the door. His eyebrows furrowed, "What...?"

His voice died in his throat when he saw his four children, walking through the doorway.

"Hi, Dad," Maureen greeted softly.

"Hey," he answered, stepping closer, gathering them together in his arms. Tears came to his eyes as he gave Olivia a grateful look. She just smiled softly at him.

He hadn't really wanted them to come before, but now he was happy. He was so happy to see them.

"Dad?" Kathleen asked, pulling her face away from his chest, "Are you crying?"

He sniffled, wiping his eyes, "They're happy tears, Kat. I'm happy you guys came."

"We had to see you," Lizzie told him, "We all missed you."

"I missed you, too," Elliot said, giving a small smile as he released them. Maureen brought her hand up to touch her father's scruffy beard, questioning him with her eyes. He reached her hand, and squeezed it gently as he pulled it away from his face.

"Are you okay, Dad?" she asked quietly.

He swallowed, and nodded, "I'm fine, Mo."

"No, you're not," Kathleen interjected softly, noticing the emotion in his glistening eyes.

He bit his lip, and nodded, unable to try and convince her of anything different. His daughters were too smart. "I've been better."

"It's not fair," Kathleen said, "Why are they doing this to you?"

He wished he knew, "People make mistakes."

"So you have to... you have to _die_ because someone made a mistake?" Kathleen asked, tears streaming down her cheeks, "It's not fair."

Elliot trying to prevent his own tears, pulled her close, and squeezed her tight, "I know, Kat. Believe me, I know it's not fair. But it's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Everything except you," Lizzie said softly.

Elliot swallowed the lump in his throat, his control draining away as he saw the tears that were falling from all of his children's eyes. He didn't know what to do or say to make them feel better. He could always do it before... he could always find a way to brighten their situation, but now he was lost. So he did the only thing that he could do. He pulled them all back into his embrace, and cried with them.

Olivia stood off to the side, watching quietly. She wiped away the tear that was making it's way down her face.

Elliot took a deep, trembling breath, and wiped his eyes. When all the crying subsided, he gave them a small, half smile, "Sit down. Tell me about school and stuff."

They spent an hour and a half, just talking, trying to forget about what would happen later that night. It didn't work out to well, though. The fact was always at the back of their minds, almost taunting them.

"We have to go," Maureen said regretfully. Elliot nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. He stood, and Lizzie hugged him tightly, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, baby," he answered, returning her tight embrace. He pulled away slightly to look at her face, "You keep up the good grades. I want you to do well," he kissed her cheek gently, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," she whispered.

Next was Dickie. Elliot pulled him close, and he returned the hug hesitantly, "You be a good boy," he said softly, "You're the man of the house. Be good to your sisters, they're all you have."

"I will, Dad," he promised, feeling his eyes moisten again, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kathleen threw her arms around him, "I love you, Daddy. I'm sorry if I've taken advantage of you... I'm lucky to have a Dad like you. All of us are."

His eyes prickled as he held her tightly, "I'm lucky to have such great kids. I love you, too, Kat."

Then it was just Maureen. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a silver chain with two cross pendants on it, "Here, Dad. I found this in your old drawer. I want you to wear it."

Elliot took the chain, and examined it, immediately getting choked up. It had been a confirmation present from his mother and father and father almost twenty years ago. He remembered... one cross said mother, and the other father. He unhooked the clasp, took off the father cross, and pressed it into his daughter's palm.

"Thank you, Maureen," he said softly, "I want you to keep this one, though. That way... I'll always be with you."

Maureen nodded, grasping the cross tightly in her fist, "You're going up to Heaven, so you have to have Jesus with you."

He pressed his lips into a thin line, feeling the tears threaten to overflow, "That's right. You take care of your brother and sisters, okay?"

She nodded, "I will. I'll make you proud, Dad."

"Oh, sweetie," he said, shaking his head slowly, "You've already done that."

Warmth filled her heart when she heard that, and she gave him one last kiss on the cheek before she led her siblings out.

Olivia put her hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

He turned, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, "Thank you."

"They wanted to see their Dad," Olivia said, looking into his blue orbs.

"One last time," he finished, and remembered Andrade's words, "To say goodbye."

She brought her hand to his cheek, "I'm so sorry, El."

He shook his head, "Don't be. You tried your best, Liv. That's all I could ask for."

It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right. But life wasn't fair, so why would death be? He'd accepted it. At midnight tonight, he would be executed for crimes that he did not commit. She took his face in her hands, his prison-hardened features, and pressed her lips to his in a desperate kiss. He closed his eyes, and pulled her impossibly close. She ran her hands over his cheeks, through his hair and down his back, memorizing each curve and muscle, how their bodies fit together so perfectly, and how his lips felt against hers.

It would be the last time she got to hold him, and kiss him. She brought her hand to rest over his beating heart, knowing that, in a few hours, it would stop forever. To soon. It was too soon for him to die, to be ripped away from her. Their lips fell apart, and Elliot wiped away her tears with his thumb. No more hears came to his eyes. He was too sad to cry.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered, keeping her forehead pressed against his. Her grip tightened around him, "_So much_."

Elliot nodded, "I-I want you to promise me something."

"Anything," Olivia told him.

"Promise me that you'll be happy," he said softly, grasping her hand, "Promise me that... you'll find someone else that can love you." It hurt more than anything for him to say that... he wanted to be the one to love her, to take care of her... but he couldn't. He loved her, so he just wanted to her to be happy. "Promise me that you'll keep going. That's all I want."

She nodded, feeling the tears spill over, "Okay, I promise. I love you, El."

"I love you, too, Liv. More than life itself."

Olivia kissed him again, and tears came to both of their eyes.

"Goodbye," she whispered, holding his face, looking into the deep blue eyes that would haunt her dreams forever.

He gave her one final, sad smile, "Goodbye, Olivia."

They hugged each other tightly, and gave each other one last kiss before she slowly made her way out, wiping her tears as she went.

Their words hung in the air for hours after.

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><p>AN: Hope you guys liked it. Next chapter will be coming soon if I get the kind of feedback I got last time around :) Thanks.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Holy $h!t, guys! Ninteen reviews last chapter! Thank all of you guys so much! Here's the next chapter!

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><p>Melinda was in the lab, looking at a face on one of the computer screens. It was the face of one of her closest friends, who was to be executed later that night.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Elliot," she whispered to the computer screen, "I should have tried to help you sooner."

She wiped away the single tear that was slowly making it's way down her face, "But I'm here now. I'm trying my best."

Melinda bit her lip as she thought about him. He was one of the best people that she had ever worked with. Him and Olivia. He always kept his composure... even when there was a gun being pointed at his head by a high teenage boy. She wondered what he was thinking at that moment. Was he collected, like he was them, standing bravely in the face of death? Or was he terrified, like she knew that she would be?

She shook her, "Please forgive me."

And she got to work.

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><p>The door of the captain's office in the Special Victims Unit was closed, and the shade was pulled down. Captain Cragen was sitting at his desk, staring at one of the pictures that rested there. It was a picture of him and Elliot. It had been taken months before this whole mess started... they had been talking out a case when Olivia suddenly yelled "Say Cheese!" and snapped a picture.<p>

The captain sighed, setting the picture down in it's place. He'd always thought of Elliot as his own son... since the moment that he first walked into the 1-6 for the first time, he knew that the younger man was special.

_Captain Cragen had a nasty case on his hands. He was sitting in his office, looking over the file on his desk. He sighed, and looked up, giving his eyes a break as he rubbed his temples. _

_There was a knock on the doorframe, and a voice, "Captain Cragen?"_

_He looked up, and saw a man, a few inches taller than he was, wearing a suit. There was a file in his hand. _

"_Come in," the captain answered, "How can I help you?"_

"_I'm Elliot Stabler," he said, stepping further into the office, "I'm..."_

"_My new detective," Cragen finished, standing as he shook his hand and took the file from him, "Welcome to the Special Victims Unit."_

_The first thing that the captain noticed was that he was young. Very young. He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. But Cragen had read his file... he was a good cop. A great cop._

"_Thank you, sir," Elliot answered._

_He opened the top drawer of his desk, and took out a shiny new badge._

"_I'm assuming that you have your service weapon," he said, handing the new detective his shield,/_

"_Yes, sir," Elliot answered, "Of course."_

_The captain nodded, chuckling, "Alright. I'll show you your desk, and your new partner."_

The rest was history, Cragen thought. Dave Rossetti hadn't taken too kindly to having such a young partner, but the first case that they had together, Elliot showed him. While the veteran detective was stumped, he swooped in and solved it with what seemed like ease. To this day the captain didn't know how he'd done it.

And now, tonight, he was going to die. The captain reached into his desk slowly, and took out the badge that he had given Elliot all those years ago. Shield 6313. He closed it in his hand, lowered his head, and cried.

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><p>Elliot was laying on his bunk, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. He was just laying there, still, unmoving, but his heart was racing in his chest. It was getting late; his time was running out.<p>

He was terrified. He was terrified of dying and leaving everyone behind. His hand moved from behind his head down to the silver cross around his neck. He grasped it in his fist, and closed his eyes. For the first time in a very long while, he prayed. He prayed that his family would be safe and happy, that Olivia would find someone to love her and take care of her. He prayed for forgiveness, and in a moment of desperation, he asked for somehow, his life to be spared.

"Casey, we found it," Olivia nearly shouted into her phone as she slammed the door of the car.

"What?" the A.D.A asked from the other end.

"Proof that Elliot's innocent," she answered, "You need to run this by a judge now. He only has a few hours left."

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><p>Elliot looked at the clock on the wall. It read nine o'clock... he took a deep, shaky breath. Three hours, and it would be all over. This whole mess would be over, and he would be... gone. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe it was for the best. If he had to be blamed for all of those horrible things and he could't convince anyone that he was innocent... he wouldn't be able to live like that.<p>

He just hoped that someday, they would realize their mistake and he would be exonerated. What he didn't know was that someday was coming sooner than he thought. And hopefully, it wouldn't be too late...

Olivia's heart was pounding in her chest as she raced out of the courthouse, clutching a blue piece of paper in her hand. She grabbed her cell phone from the clip on her belt, flipped it open, and cursed when the screen read 'battery exhausted'. She turned over the ignition of the car, and pulled away from the curb. She had to hurry.

"Stabler." he heard one of the corrections officers call gruffly, "It's time."

He swallowed hard, and looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up slowly. This was the final stretch.

The walk felt like it took an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few short minutes. The faces of Olivia and his children invaded his thoughts, making him squeeze his eyes shut. It was almost over.

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><p>Olivia dropped her gun and badge on the counter at the entrance to the prison and sprinted down the hall. She only had minutes to save him.<p>

Elliot sat on the gurney, and the officer restrained him. A man in a white lab coat drew up the syringe... the syringe that would kill him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, unable to watch what was going to happen next. He felt fingers on the inside of his arm, then a moist swab. He gritted his teeth, a million different emotions flashing through his head; fear, resentment, sadness, anger...

He felt a pinch, knew that it was the needle piercing his skin. He could almost feel the killer chemicals enter his veins. Suddenly, he heard, "Stop!"

His eyes snapped open, and he saw her. Olivia.

"He's innocent," she said, "I have papers from a judge right here."

His heart skipped a beat. They knew he was innocent. He could get out of this hellhole.

But he'd already gotten almost the full dose.

His world was growing fuzzy. He heard Olivia order the officer to get help, and then she was in front of him, yanking the restraints off.

"It's gonna be okay, El," she said softly, cupping his cheek gently in her hand.

He nodded tiredly. He never gave up on him, did she? She finally convinced someone important that he never did any of those things. Now he had just enough time to say thank you... and goodbye. "I know."

He was exhausted. His eyelids were heavy and he just wanted to rest. He closed his eyes, but Olivia shook him lightly, "Stay with me, baby. I'm getting you out of here. You're going to be _free_."

"I already am," he whispered, feeling himself drifting off, "Thank you, Liv..."

And then he closed his eyes, and knew no more.

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><p>AN: If that doesn't get you guys to review like you did last time, I don't know what will. I know, I'm cruel... XD Lol. But seriously, tell me what you think!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Wow! I'm glad all of you are so into this story. You guys taking the time to review really means a lot. Here's the next chapter.

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><p>Darkness wrapped around him like a warm blanket. For the first time in a long while, he felt at peace. He heard a voice, soft and far away, saying his name, begging him to open his eyes. He didn't want to, though. He felt safe, and warm, and he just wanted to rest.<p>

The blackness faded, but the feelings stayed with him. He wan't laying down anymore, he was standing. Somehow his body felt light... like he weighed nothing at all. The sun was warm on his face; it had been a while since he had seen the sun. He heard familiar laughing, and turned towards the source. He saw his children, laughing and playing on the grass. They looked younger from the last time he had seen them... however, he paid no mind to it. He was just glad that they were happy. They looked happy, anyway.

He started towards them, a smile making it's way onto his face. They stopped what they were doing as he approached, and silently made their way into his arms... he was holding them again.

"I love you four," he found himself whispering.

He found himself moving somehow, and he wasn't hugging them anymore. He felt sand underneath his feet and between his toes. When had he taken his shoes off?

It didn't matter, though. In front of him was a beach with the most perfect sand that he could imagine. The sun was setting on the ocean, and sitting on the sand in front of him was Olivia. He sat down beside her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arm around him. He returned the one armed embrace, and sighed. He could stay like that forever.

The darkness was growing nearer, replacing the brilliant colors of the ocean sunset. Olivia lifted her head off of her shoulder, and wordlessly framed his face with both of her hands, kissing him deeply. He leaned in closer and kissed her with an equal amount of passion. As soon as he closed his eyes, though, she was gone.

He was laying down, and blackness was all around him again. The feelings of peace and serenity were slowly being drained from him. He tried to latch on to them... No, he didn't want to give them up. He wanted to have them forever. But they were gone, replaced with the fear and anxiety he felt when... he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt like that, but he knew that he had.

He felt someone holding his hand, but he couldn't move to see who it was. He felt something below him and something on top of him... a mattress and a blanket. His eyes opened slowly, and he saw Olivia's beautiful face looking down at him. Then he remembered what had happened.

"El," she greeted softly, in what sounded to him like relief.

"Liv?" he asked, his voice hoarse and low, "Where...?"

He remembered sitting on the gurney, the guard restraining him, then the needle. He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he? _Wasn't I dead a few minutes ago? Was that what it was?_

"You're in the hospital," she told him in a soothing voice, "We got papers from a judge. They know that you're innocent.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, "You mean...?"

Olivia nodded, smiling at him, "It's all over. When you get out of here, you're coming home with me."

It was almost too much. He was alive, and he was going home. _Home_. He pulled her close, burying his face in her shoulder. His eyes were watering... he couldn't believe it. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, guessing what he was feeling. She kissed his temple, and whispered in his ear, "You never have to go back there. You're free."

_Free_. Finally, this whole nightmare was over. He didn't have to go another day in that gray cell, and he didn't have to die. Not yet, anyway. Not for a long, long time. He pulled away just enough to see her face. "You saved me," he whispered, "You saved my life."

"If you had died last night, I would have, too," she told him in a mere whisper, holding his face in her hands.

He leaned in, and kissed her for everything that he was worth. She had saved him... in more ways than one. She kissed him back, resting a hand over his beating heart. His heart, that had nearly stopped only hours ago. When he had closed his eyes in that gray room, she had been terrified that he would never open them again.

When their lips fell apart, she smiled softly at him, and climbed into the bed next to him. He sighed in comfort, and leaned closer to her, relishing her warmth. After months and months of being in hell, he was finally far away from that place. She rubbed his back gently and placed gentle kisses to his temple until she heard his even breathing. He was asleep.

She sighed, and just held him for a while... she loved having him in her arms.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Olivia looked up. Captain Cragen was standing in the doorway, "Hi, Liv."

She smiled softly at him, "Hi."

"How's he doing?" the captain asked, pulling over a chair. He didn't say anything about her seating arrangement... somehow he wasn't surprised.

"He's okay," she replied, smoothing her hand over his hair, "Exhausted. He was up a little while ago, you just missed him."

"Eh," he said, "That's alright. He deserves his rest.

She nodded her head, smiling slightly, "He does."

Cragen was thanking God in his mind. Thank God he was alive. He hadn't lost his son.

"Tell him I stopped by, will you? And take as long as you need off. Help him get back on his feet."

She nodded, "Thanks, Don. I'll tell him."

"Oh, and Liv?" he asked, turning back to her.

"Yeah?"

"Take good care of him."

She smiled, and nodded her head, "I will."

Then he was gone. She turned back to Elliot, and took one of his large hands in both of hers, just looking at him. His face was relaxed; he must have been having a good dream because his lips were turned upward in a small smile.

Only a few minutes had passed before there was another knock on the door. She turned, and saw a doctor standing in the doorway.

"Just came to see how he's doing," he said, stepping into the room, "Has he woken up yet?"

She nodded, "Yes. He was up a little while ago."

"He's doing well," he said as he wrote something down on his clipboard, "All of the toxin seems to be flushed our of his system. When he wakes up, I'll release him."

"Okay. Thank you," she answered.

He smiled in return, and nodded, making his exit.

* * *

><p>When Elliot opened his eyes, he saw Olivia. She smiled, "Welcome back, sleepyhead."<p>

He chuckled lightly, making Olivia's heart warm. It had been a long time since she heard him honestly laugh, "Thanks."

"I talked to the doctor," she told him, "All's you have to do is sign the release forms and we can go home."

Elliot sighed in relief, "Thank God."

Finally, he got to go home. He couldn't wait.

Olivia smiled, squeezing his hand, "I'll go talk to the doctor. I brought you some clothes, go ahead and get dressed."

He nodded his head, and watched as she headed out of the hospital room. She closed the door behind her. He sighed, throwing the blanket off of him. He opened the duffel bag on the chair, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw a familiar pair of his own worn jeans and a polo shirt. How did she...? A smile formed on his lips as he made a mental note to ask her about that.

He threw the clothes on, and made his way out of the hospital room. It felt good to wear real clothes again... better than he imagined. Olivia was standing at the nurse's station when he stepped out into the hall. Elliot moved next to her, and she turned to him, smiling. The nurse set a form in front of them.

"Here you are, Mr. Stabler. Just sign here and you're free to go."

He took the pen she held out, and signed his name. Olivia reached out to grasp his hand, "Come on. Let's go home."

_Home_, he thought. He finally got to go home.

* * *

><p>AN: Aw, you guys didn't really think I was going to _kill_ him, did you? Lol. Thanks for reading, hope all of you leave me a review. Don't make me regret letting him live! Just kidding :)


	16. Chapter 16

Olivia opened the apartment door and guided Elliot inside. He walked over to the couch, and collapsed onto it, stretching and yawning. Olivia saw the small smile on his face. She sat next to him, lips turning upward, "How're you doing over there?"

He turned to her, and his small smile grew wider, "Good."

"That's good," she said, reaching up to place her hand over his cheek. She was still amazed... he was alive. He was here with her.

"All thanks to you," he told her, as if he had read her mind. It was true. If it weren't for her, he would be dead, they wouldn't know that he had been innocent all along.

She smiled slightly, and tugged on his hand, "Come on. I want to show you something."

"Okay." He got up, and followed her into the bedroom, silently wondering what it was that she wanted to show him. She stopped in front of her walk-in closet, and opened the door. He looked inside, and his heart jumped into his throat. All of his clothes were hung up neatly on the rack. His shoes were piled on the floor, and boxes with his scribbled handwriting were pressed against the back wall. All of his things... she had kept all of his things.

He turned, and wrapped her tightly in his arms, "Liv... I can't believe you..."

"I couldn't let all of your things be thrown away," she answered, tightening her arms around him, "And it's a good thing that I didn't. You would have to buy all new clothes."

He chuckled lightly, "That's true. Thank you."

She pulled away from him slightly, "I love you."

"I love you too," Elliot answered.

"Then stay with me," she said, "I want you to stay."

He smiled back at her, "Okay. I'll stay."

Their lips met in a sweet kiss, and they stood there together for a moment, neither of them wanting to move from their position. Finally, Olivia spoke, "I almost forgot. You have court next Thursday. The DOC wants to clear everything up."

Elliot nodded, "That's not really surprising... Casey's going to be there?"

"Of course," she answered, "She's your lawyer, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but I didn't exactly leave on the best terms with her," he said, "I fired her."

"You were on death row, El. She understands, she just wants to help you. We all do."

Elliot nodded, "Yeah, I guess so."

She smiled softly at him, and grabbed his hand, "Come on. Let's go watch a movie."

A few minutes later, he was sitting on the couch, getting the DVD ready for him and Olivia. Olivia walked into the living room, handing him a bottle of cold beer, "Pizza's going to be here in a half hour."

Elliot tipped the bottle towards her, "Thanks."

She nodded, "Movie ready?"

"Yup. Just waiting for you," he answered before pressing play on the remote.

"Okay, then," she said, cuddling close to him and pulling the blanket from the back of the couch over them both.

He smiled at the gesture and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, getting comfortable. Being home, relaxing with her and watching a movie... it felt better than he imagined. It was so good to be there.

When the doorbell rang, she got up, insisting that he relax. He gave in without much a fight and when she returned, the box of pizza was in her hands. She set it in front of them, and they ate.

A few hours later, the pizza box lay empty on the coffee table with a few empty beer bottles surrounding it, and Elliot was falling asleep against Olivia's shoulder, full of pizza and beer. She shook him gently, "El."

"Mmm," he answered, eyes still closed as he leaned against her.

"C'mon... you're falling asleep, let's go to bed," she told him.

"Okay," he answered, sitting up, wiping his eyes, "I'll just grab a pillow and blanket and sleep out here..."

She grabbed his wrist, stopping him from getting up and heading to the closet, "What? I don't think so."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"El, if you're living here, you're coming and sleeping in the bed. I'm not letting you sleep out here on the couch," she told him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, becoming more alert, "I don't want to push things. If you're not comfortable..."

"Shh," she said, interrupting him, "If I wasn't comfortable with this, then I wouldn't have suggested it. Now c'mon. You're exhausted."

He followed her in to the bedroom, got changed into some of the clothes that Olivia had salvaged, and slipped into the bed next to her. He moaned in comfort... after sleeping in a prison cell for so long, it felt amazing to be in an actual bed.

She chuckled softly, knowing exactly what he was thinking, and cuddled close to him. He immediately drifted off into a deep sleep, and she stayed awake for a bit, watching him, still thanking her lucky stars that he was there with her. She would never ever take him for granted... not after what had happened... she felt so lucky to have him.

These thoughts filled her consciousness until she drifted off to sleep with him.

* * *

><p>The next morning when she woke up, he was gone. She sat up, and for a brief moment wondered if it was all a dream. Her anxiety subsided when she heard shuffling out in the living room. When she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw him, fully dressed in a pair of jeans, cleaning up the coffee table from the night before.<p>

She smiled slightly at him, "Hey."

"Hi," he answered, placing the DVD back into it's case and setting it down onto the table.

She stepped closer to him, "You're up early."

He shrugged his shoulders, taking a seat on the couch.

"El?" she asked, sitting next to him. She noticed that look in his eyes...

"Nightmare," he answered, but shrugged it off quickly, "No big deal. I'm fine."

Her gaze softened and she rubbed his back lightly, "Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?"

She knew what the nightmare was about. It was obvious. He shook his head, though, "Not really. It's fine."

"Okay," she said, "What are your plans for today?"

"I want to go see my kids," he told her, "I haven't seen them since... well, you know."

She nodded, "I thought you would. Here, you can take my car. Go spend some time with them, and I'll be right here when you get back."

He smiled, and leaned over to kiss her gently, "Okay. I'll talk to you later."

She watched him make his exit, and sighed happily.

* * *

><p>AN: I know, I haven't updated in, like, forever. But I hope you guys enjoy, and a review would be awesome :) Now it's super easy haha.


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